Never Ever
by theICEBear
Summary: Part 2 of The Seraph series Without their true Champion the Forces of Good are losing strength. They send Her back. Can She stop Her old enemies again? Even if her friends are no longer the same?
1. End of an Era

Never Ever  
Part 2 of The Seraph  
- a Buffy series by theICEBear  
  
Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Note: This story was started just before Surprise during the 2nd season of Buffy the   
Vampire Slayer. It represents an alternative storyline, which moves away from the BtVS   
story arc as represented in the series for the purpose of the story I want to tell.   
Currently we are after the first episode: Dead and Reborn, which took place in the   
middle of would have been Buffy`s senior year. This story picks up just after the   
graduation of Willow, Xander, Oz, Cordelia and the battle against the Mayor.  
  
Chapter 1: End of an era  
  
  
The explosion echoed around the blocks and pieces of the School rained down all   
around them. Willow looked at Xander laying the shadows of a tree. A vampire had   
bitten him, but Jenny was taking care of his wound. A lot of people hadn`t survived.   
Many many of her closest friends and people she had seen every day had died in the   
last ten minutes. They seemed to have been the longest of her life. Willow smelled the   
sulphur and soot floating in the air. She felt that somehow all bad events in her life   
ended in an inferno of fire.  
  
Nothing moved within the building anymore. Small flames burned still here and there. In   
what had once been the Sunnydale High School Library the last remains of the Mayor of   
Sunnydale transformed back into human form. Not far away was another charred   
corpse, which by some amazing coincidence hadn`t been blown to smithereens. Wendy   
hadn`t made it out in time. The girl trust into a situation, which shouldn`t have been her   
destiny, had failed for the last time.  
  
Willow cried. Oz was hurt, but she didn`t cry for him. She cried for her friends, who had   
died these last three years, and those had died this very day. They had joined forces to   
fight an enemy which threathened to overwhelm their town, to end their very lives. She   
turned and walked towards her favorite englishman.  
  
Giles sat in the grass and stared out over the field of debris, terrified teens, firetrucks   
and rescue workers, but he knew that for many people the rescue came to late. And he   
knew for one special girl in particular all hope was out. It was the result of previous   
experience and from what he had seen, he knew for sure that Wendy had not escaped   
the terrible attack of the Mayor or the gigantic snake-like demon he had become.   
  
She had not come out before the explosion. He had looked inside the window. The   
Mayor now fully formed had gotten hold of her, before she had been able to jump out   
the window. For a second he had hesitated then he made the most terrible decision of   
his life and he had turned the detonator, he had blown up the school just as the Mayor   
had slain one of humanity`s greatest allies against evil.   
  
He liked Wendy eventhough she had always seemed distant and not quite… He had   
blown her up and he was left feeling guilty and deeply disgusted at himself. His rational   
mind kept telling him, it had been the only way to save everybody in Sunnydale and that   
there had been no hope for the caught Slayer. But guilt was flowing throughout his mind   
like a dark poison. Finally he began crying in despair.  
  
Willow stopped. Giles was crying like a baby and maybe without his knowledge   
mumbling Wendy`s name again and again. She felt a cold tear hit her arm.   
  
Willow was again reliving the moment as the Mayor began his demonic transformation,   
and Mr. Trick`s vampires began swarming the ground. She remembered everybody   
drawing their weapons and getting ready for the final battle.   
  
Oz and Larry had lead the flamethrower group, which had been attacked first by the   
Mayor. Oz had escaped only to be badly burned by the explosion of a flamethrower.   
They had taken him to the hospital with a lot of the other victims.   
  
Victims like Cordelia, who had been bitten and nearly killed by Mr. Trick, until Angel had   
staked him, or like Harmony, who had literally been consumed by the vampire throng.   
  
Xander who had tried to help Angel with the vampires, and who was now being carted   
away to join the other wounded at the hospital.   
  
Willow looked over the grounds as the sun was being to peek out from the strange   
eclipse, which had foreshadowed the Mayor`s transformation. Angel was nowhere in   
sight. She hoped he had made back under cover.   
  
Suddenly a voice snapped Willow out of her thoughts: "Willow? Could you help me   
please?".   
  
It was Jennifer Giles formerly Calendar, Giles wife and these days the pillar of strength   
for them all. She had recognized Willow`s innate magical knack and they had together   
sought and won full wiccan powers. She had also helped in the fight and had just like   
Willow narrowly missed getting more than just the small bruises that they carried like   
badges of honor.  
  
"Yes, of course", Willow replied and turned to help Jenny carry what turned out to be   
Johnathan from her class up onto a stretcher. Willow and Wendy had just recently   
stopped him from commiting suicide with a hunting rifle.  
  
"We should get him home", Jenny said after the paramedics had moved Johnathan   
away from the still smoking buildings of Sunnydale High, and nodded in the direction of   
her husband. Willow nodded mutely.  
  
"Will Angel leave now?" Jenny looked up at her redheaded friend.   
  
"Yeah, he said so. He is going to stay in LA, until he has made up his mind what to do   
next", Willow said as they dragged Giles into a standing position.  
  
"We`re going home honey", Jenny whispered to her now catatonic husband. He kept   
mumbling the names of all the Slayers who he had known and loved.  
  
Willow worried. Giles had made the hardest decision imaginable, he had been forced to   
blow up his own friend. However she was sure that he wouldn`t have done it if there had   
been any chance of escape for Wendy.  
  
Their group seemed to be disintegrating not even hours after the end of the High School   
part of their lives. Angel was leaving, because nothing held him in Sunnydale except   
bittersweet memories.   
  
Xander had planned going on a road trip and possibly moving to be with Cordy as he   
had been able to get good enough scores to get into a number of colleges.   
  
Cordy had lost all her money as her father had been caught by the IRS, but she had   
gotten money together from stipends and with her and Xander each having a job, it just   
might work out for them.  
  
She herself was also going to some college eventhough, she hadn`t been forced to   
decide yet between any of her possible options, and there was still the issue of Oz.   
  
Only the future of Giles and Jenny was uncertain, but they were both very capable   
people and Willow was sure that it would work out for them. But if they all left, who   
would carry on the legacy of Buffy, who would protect Sunnydale from evil. Willow   
sighed heavily as they shuffled Giles into the car.  
  
"What about the future?", Willow asked and looked to Jenny as she closed the door to   
the car.   
  
"I don`t know yet to be honest. Wendy has died, so there is probably already a new   
Slayer somewhere in this world. And there`s always Faith", Jenny explained.  
  
"I meant our future. We`re all more or less leaving Sunnydale", Willow said and looked   
back at her former school.  
  
"Oh. I don`t know either. Rupert shouldn`t train any more Slayers. It`s too hard on him.   
He loves all those girls… Well, some more than others, but he is still emotionally   
invested in them. And when something like this happens it hurts him so much. Did you   
know that he still has nightmares about Buffy`s death? He can`t let it go. If I have   
anything to say on this matter, I`ll suggest we move somewhere else", Jenny walked   
around the car. "Do you want me to drive you home?", She asked.  
  
"No, I have my own car now. I am going to the hospital. There`s a redhaired boy, who I   
need to be with right now. We`ll talk right", Willow walked off towards her graduation gift   
her car.  
  
"I´ll call you", Jenny called out before she lost sight of Willow. She sighed, they all had   
too many wounds to heal. They had seen too much. Maybe it really was time to leave to   
safety of humanity in the hands of someone else. Someone new. She would make him   
choose another path. She would get him retired. It was better, if they all left Sunnydale.  
  
In another place bathed eternally in light.  
  
  
"The balance is severely disrupted again. Her unwarranted death is still creating huge   
ripples. Now we must rely upon the Wild Slayer and another one, who shouldn`t have   
been chosen at all. The Messenger wasn`t enough in the face of the disruptive chaos of   
her undestined death. We are getting more and more dependent on the demonic   
Powers That Be, that selfstyled force of demonic good. Their champion Angel and his   
demonic guides are currently outnumbering our agents and day by day we`re relying on   
demons to do the good thing. And all the while people destined to be champions… true   
forces of good are choosing different paths and forging new destinies for themselves. I   
say it`s enough", A deep and grave voice coming from a flame of pure blue explained.  
  
"All man has the ability to choose their own path. Maybe we`re trying to control too   
much", a voice seeming to come from a thousand sources said.   
  
"Too much. Don`t be foolish. We are only demanding the service of a mere few   
thousand out of billions. And you say it`s too much. I must say that I don`t agree. We   
must bring about balance. The forces of evil has always held too much sway over Earth.   
The need for closure on the supernatural is rising faster and faster. Soon it must be   
decided. Magic must resurface or go away with all it`s demons, curses and the like. An   
age of absolute reason could be coming within a few hundred years and we need to get   
ready. The Powers That Be won`t move in that direction. They will not cut off the branch   
they`re sitting on, no matter their much doubted good intentions. They have already   
broken all treaties and rules more than once. I say we are more than right in bring   
another creature to the equation to level out the changes they have made", a voice   
coming from everywhere at once said.  
  
In unison the voices together said: "Agreed".  
  
In an even more far away place the forces of dark noticed that their ancient enemy had   
finally after millenia made a move and begun to bring their power to the most ancient   
Game. And as they couldn`t even fathom their enemy, they just shrugged and went on   
with business as usual. They couldn`t protest, they had already many times done things   
that warranted even greater retribution. Another warrior wasn`t going to make a   
difference. Never. 


	2. New Life

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 2: New life  
  
  
She didn`t even remember the flash of the explosion. She had felt the teeth of the   
Mayor bite into her back then immense pain. Then there was just the darkness.   
  
Suddenly she was surrounded by light and song seeming to come from above her. It   
was a landscape seeming made up of radiance. Both here and there there seemed to   
be movement as if vague shapes moved behind a mist of radience. Her first instinct was   
to move, but then she realized and strangely understood the fact that she was dead.   
  
Wendy was bewildered as first and surprised by the calm of her reaction. She   
understood and accepted that she was dead like it was the most normal thing. And   
maybe that was right, maybe around here it was exactly that. She was dead, but so she   
hoped was the Mayor, but by the look of this place she wouldn`t be meeting him again.   
  
A soft voice with a strange accent suddenly spoke to her: "Hello Wendy, I`m veery sorri   
for u being dead and all".   
  
Wendy suddenly sensed the faint outline of a girl standing in front of her. The more she   
looked the more shape the form took. "Kendra?", Wendy asked more to be sure than   
anything as she recognized the recently dead Slayer.   
  
"Yes, it is I", she answered.  
  
"Where are we?", Wendy asked and looked at the strange place. But she already knew   
the answer.  
  
"We`re where those go, who have recently passed on to the realms of the dead and   
where those stay who died out of their turn", Kendra, who now stood as a pale image   
before Wendy.  
  
"Heaven?", Wendy asked again.  
  
"No. That is a place, which u pass onto from here. Actually this is a foreroom where all   
those who had a good soul, no matter what place of greater good they believed in, go.   
From here they go on to the heaven or destiny, which awaits then. Unless they died   
before their time, then they must stay until they have been here as long as they should   
have lived", Kendra explained.  
  
"Did you die before your time?", Wendy asked and looked at the girl, who she had   
looked up to in the beginning of her Slayer career.  
  
"No, I died too late. No but u did. U should never even have become the Slayer. Buffy   
was destined to be the Slayer until way after u were useful. But you were chosen and   
did well, but u died many years too early", Kendra explained sorrowfully.  
  
"So I have to stay here for a long time", again Wendy didn`t feel as angry as she would   
have expected.   
  
"Yes", Kendra answered, "But in the time you`ll have here, you`ll be able to reflect upon   
your life and get to know a lot of other people".  
  
Wendy almost smiled at that, why should that be comforting. "Why are you still here   
then?", she asked.  
  
"I decided to stay and learn from the experiences of the people and lives of those who   
passthrough here. In this form you can with permission of course, experience to the   
entire life of one who comes through here as a watcher. It makes it easier to adapt and   
pass the time up here. In the end it`ll make you realize your own mistakes and correct   
them in your next lifetime, if you believed in or just is reincarnated. At least so the   
Others tell us", Kendra explained.  
  
"Others?", Wendy asked.  
  
"Yes. The others are ancient souls fused with the forces of good. They come in many   
shapes and powers. They are the servants, messengers and warriors of the collected   
forces of good in the multiverse. They`re what has brought rise to the legends of   
Angels, Avatars and even some mythological pantheons", she explained.  
  
"So they fight evil on Earth", Wendy looked as if she didn`t believe it. She had been   
almost alone in her fight and she would have been glad, if someone had helped her   
more.  
  
"No, the forces of good hasn`t directly intervened except in the absolutely most extreme   
cases, like when they sent the Messenger", Kendra suddenly looked to her side, "Would   
you like to meet Her?".   
  
"Who?", Wendy looked around, but saw no one.  
  
"The One, whom u replaced. She would very much like to meet you and apologize for   
hitting u. You know… Buffy", Kendra smiled.  
  
Wendy thought it over. She had read all that had been written about the girl, whom   
many in hindsight realized had been the greatest Slayer to have graced to Earth with   
her presence in a very long time. Wendy had carried more than a little anger over the   
fact that she had not only been returned from the dead and had swatted her like a fly   
during a great crisis. And maybe deep down she was jealous of her, because everyone   
had secretly thought that she had been nowhere near as good a Slayer as her. It really   
didn`t matter anymore. They were equal now and the title and powers of the Slayer had   
moved to someone new. "Yes I`d like that", she finally answered.  
  
"Good then follow me", Kendra blazed off into the mists like a comet of white light.  
  
Without knowing how Wendy easily followed her example. The sum of human   
knowledge was at her fingertips up here, and she really didn`t need to learn any skills   
here, for all was available and freely given.  
  
Suddenly she became aware of a blazing light in the mists. She finally caught up with   
Kendra, who stood besides a brightly glowing and almost fully formed figure of a   
beautiful long haired blond girl. This was like Kendra the idealized picture of Buffy clad   
in the most beautiful gown of pure white and glowing stronger than both her and Kendra   
put together. But when she looked into the eyes, which had blazed with battle lust and   
power on Earth or even with life and happiness on the pictures Willow had showed her,   
she saw only sorrow. She understood that this was the destiny of Buffy now. She had   
been meant for truly great things and filled with potential, but now she could only look   
upon an unfulfilled life and loss of experiences that many had been blessed with. The   
jealousy that she had previously felt stinging in her heart was gone. This place would   
never be a foreroom to heaven for the blond girl. Each second here was like an hour in   
a torture chamber.   
  
"Uhm, hello", Wendy stammered forth.   
  
The blond girl smiled warmly and for a few second her melancholy seemed to have   
disappeared. Buffy answered: "Hi Wendy. Now before you say anything, please forgive   
me for hitting you. I was forced by the rules of releasing the Messenger on Earth to   
keep my identity a secret until the last minutes of the fight".   
  
"It doesn`t matter. You saved my life many times even in the short time you visited. I   
can`t be angry with you. You did as you were meant to", Wendy replied.   
  
Buffy smiled, but Wendy saw the sadness return. "Would you like to hear what has   
happened after you left?", she blurted without thinking. Buffy looked at her in surprise.   
Wendy realized her mistake instantly. Buffy had just been reminded that life went on   
without her. Not exactly the greatest thing to experience when you`re waiting in limbo   
for your intended lifetime to pass you by.  
  
"How is everyone?", Buffy asked, but still looked away.  
  
Wendy tried to sound as neutral as possible as she answered: "Oh, everyone is fine.   
Willow has been accepted to literally all colleges, but last I heard she was going to MIT   
or somewhere like that. Oh, and she is going out with a guitarist named Oz. Xander is   
still happily in love with Cordelia. She`s in a bit of trouble, because her family has lost all   
his money and left her to fend for herself. Giles and Jenny got married recently and are   
very happy". Wendy paused for a second, then she remembered. "I don`t know much   
about how your mother is. We haven`t been in contact with her, since we explained your   
past to her".   
  
Buffy looked at Wendy and asked: "How did she take it?".  
  
"At first she was a little angry with you and us. But in the end I think she finally reached   
somekind of closure on your life… and death", Wendy felt strange telling an older   
person these thing, until she realized that Buffy had died just like her before becoming   
17.  
  
Buffy was quiet for a while, saying nothing. Then she whispered quietly: "How about   
Angel? Is he still unhappy?".   
  
Wendy contemplated for a while then she said: "No not anymore. He`s still hurting from   
your death and I think he`ll never lose the sense that he should have saved you from   
that burning building. He will probably never truly love someone else again. But he has   
also come to a place emotionally, where he is able to move on. And he is. He told me   
before my last mission that he was leaving Sunnydale. He felt that staying there would   
only make him become more removed from his humanity and a friend had told him that   
some kind of salvation awaited him out there. Last I heard he was going to move to LA".   
  
Wendy looked to Buffy for a reaction, but only saw the same sadness as before. As she   
had been expecting. News from a home Buffy could never again see would never   
lighten the tortured girl`s mood. Would she also become like this one day.   
  
Wendy realized suddenly that not only had they stopped talking, the previously   
everpresent song seemed to thin out and finally fell silent. She became aware of a   
collection of light shining from above and illuminating the place. Everywhere around her   
people turning from semisolid apparitions to solid forms, from ghostly images to   
idealized images.   
  
"What is happening?", she asked the two Slayers standing before her.   
  
"I don`t know. This has never happened before. This place has never been silent   
before", Kendra blurted as she stood before Wendy as the exact same warrior as the   
first time she had met her. This really had been Kendra`s image of herself or was it just   
how she herself wanted to see her dead friend.  
  
Suddenly the song began again, and people became the same ghostly apparitions as   
before. All except Wendy and Buffy.   
  
Wendy felt a strange presence closing, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once.   
  
A gentle female voice spoke from a flame of pure white suddenly springing into being   
before them: "Slayer listen. The powers of good has made a decision. We must   
strengthen the forces of good on Earth immediately. We have decided to field a new   
champion to our cause. I bid you please to consider if you would become that   
champion".   
  
Wendy wasn`t sure, was it addressing her or was it talking to Buffy. This could be her   
chance to return to her family to her life before anyone missed her. Strangely a train of   
thought intruded upon her mind: "Do you really want to return? Is it right for you to   
return? This will be another life steeped in fighting. You would again stand at the   
forefront of the war. You are dead, and soon to be buried. Can you think of any real   
reason except loneliness to return. Your family has never understood your new way of   
life. You have as much right to this as her… But look at her. This place is not where she   
should be. She has to return. But you. You know deep down that you were never and   
will never be anywhere near as good at this as her".   
  
There was total silence for many minutes. Both girls seemed lost in thought. The   
universe was holding it breath. As always the choice of a human soul was deciding the   
fate of humanity as was only right.   
  
"I won`t go", Wendy said.  
  
Buffy looked at her in surprise. "But why Wendy? You have everything waiting for you   
right now. If you leave now you will be able to live your life again to continue. I won`t let   
throw away your chance at life to allow me who has been dead for nearly one and half   
years now to go back to a life which doesn`t exist anymore", she pleaded the younger   
Slayer.  
  
"No you`re wrong Buffy. This chance is for you. I have never had any illusions about   
myself you know. I wasn`t meant to be the Slayer like you and Kendra. Even after your   
death your legacy kept the city of Sunnydale safe for humanity. Your influence made   
that town, what it is now. I know now that I can never replace that. You have a gift for   
this. It`s not the title and power of Slayer, no it`s the other factor the Buffy Summers   
factor, which makes you great. Can`t you see. Even if I am dead or even if the gang   
leaves Sunnydale thousand even billions of people has been saved either directly   
because of you or the people you made into a team. I can`t do this. I needed their help,   
you just needed their support to be effective. I know that we have both saved countless   
lives, but I am sure the ones, I saved, were only saved, because you had left me Angel,   
Willow, Giles and all the others. And if I hadn`t been there you would have saved them   
instead. If anyone must go it must be you. Your death threw things out of balance, so   
maybe your return will make things a whole lot better".   
  
Buffy stared at the girl. "Good thing we don`t need lungs", she quipped and smiled for   
the first time since she had returned from her role as the Messenger. "These   
resurrection things is beginning to be a habit of mine", she said as she turned towards   
the glowing flame, which still hovered just above what constituted their head height.  
  
"Okay, if it`s me you want, I`ll do it. If it isn`t a one week gig like the last time", Buffy   
said.   
  
Wendy almost backed away as she saw the return of the girl, which had hidden inside   
the girl`s tortured shell. Energy, confidence, willpower and strength radiated in her eyes   
instead of the dead sadness, which had reduced her to a pale glow before.   
  
The female voice then said: "You are, who we will grant our boon too then. And you   
Wendy you will receive a gift for the great sacrifice, you have brought forward in giving   
up the position, you could easily have gotten". And a soft light surrounded her as Wendy   
was allowed passage to the afterlife her religion subscribed to.  
  
"Wait for me", Kendra called out and finally after procrastinating for months chose to   
leave for the heavens, which had awaited her for over half a year.  
  
Slowly a beautiful form of a woman manifested before Buffy. "Buffy Anne Summers.   
You are no longer the Slayer, yet you freely choose to battle the forces of evil even   
beyond your grave. For this and all the other things you have done I bless you", said the   
woman, who Buffy saw as the Angels she had imagined in church. "You have now   
chosen to tread on a greater path. It will not be easy and it will be long. You will be   
given the full rank and power of a Warrior of Light. You must understand that if you   
choose this the essence of what is you will exists forever in it`s present physical form.   
You`ll be like us, and our evil counterparts the demons. Immortal. You`ll be in   
possession of great strength and power, but also of the grace and goodness that lies in   
you. Misunderstand me not. We cannot make you a better person, but we will give you   
strength to perform the task asked of you. While you stay on Earth, some of our   
greatest gifts will be denied you. You will not have the insight into the future and the   
entirety of creation as clearly as we do, but will be limited to senses supernatural or not,   
which a human form and mind can bear. You can as long as you stay on Earth be   
returned here, if you suffer severe enough physical damage or by evil magics. You must   
also understand that when you take this blessing, you`ll not be able to cease to be a   
warrior for as long as Creation exists as your soul will be commited to this instead of   
reentering Creation in another form. This you must make clear in your mind before we   
proceed".   
  
Buffy remained silent slowly going over the possible consequences of her choice and   
the ramafications of what the being had just said. She would become the embodiment   
of an Angel, but unlike them, she would be allowed to walk the Earth as Good`s   
champion. But it would be for eternity even if she lost a single battle, she would be   
forced to return and carry on this war. She had seen death and if she was right than to   
her, even the afterlife would always be like torture, because the other side had really   
messed with her destiny. "I understand. I only demand that I can feel human emotions   
and have the mind of one. All else would surely drive me insane", she said and tried to   
talk like the Others to make it understand.   
  
"I understand and we wouldn`t have done otherwise", the being replied.   
  
"Then I am ready", Buffy said even as she felt more and more unsure of her decision.   
She had a thousand questions and things that she needed explained, but it would have   
to do. Indecision was as good as saying no.  
  
And suddenly everything became ablaze with the whitest and purest of lights and Buffy   
met her maker.  
  
Then everything became dark and the newly reborn girl became aware of real air   
flowing through her lungs. Right there a new life began for her and Buffy Anne   
Summers returned again to Earth. 


	3. The new home

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 3: The new home  
  
  
Charlie Philips looked out the windows of his small house. It sat nestled again a cliffside   
on the banks of a small sea. The night was exceptionally clear and a full moon made   
the sea gleam like in a fairy tale. He smiled and gulped down his hot cocoa. He would   
through the night, if the inspiration he felt at that moment didn`t leave him. He was right   
in the middle of a similar romantic scene in his latest novel. He was an author and good   
enough to earn him enough money to live on that alone.  
  
Charlie looked out the window again. Something flew past the silhuette of the moon.   
Something impacted with a huge splash in the water just 20 meters from the beach. He   
swore, and dashed out the door.  
  
He got close to the water`s edge. In the moonlight he saw something float in the water.   
He ran faster ignoring the icy water as it flowed past his ankels.   
  
Soon he was swimming towards the thing. He already shivered from the cold as he   
reached it.   
  
He gasped in surprise. In the water a girl floated face down. Her very long blond hair   
spread like a halo around her and her white ballgown giving the impression of a   
drowning princess from the middle ages. She seemed to be unconcious. Charlie knew   
how to perform a water rescue, so he turned her over and quickly began his return to   
the shore, but questions rolled through his mind: "Where had she come from? Would   
she survive? Who was she?".  
  
He finally got her up on land. He was shivering from the cold water as he turned her   
over. He gasped, she was unharmed eventhough she had at least fallen over 20   
meters. But she wasn`t breathing. Quickly he gave her first aid as his years in the navy   
had taught him.   
  
What seemed to him to be a very long time passed. Then a jolt seemed to pass through   
the girl and she began coughing up water. Charlie leaned in to stop her from swallowing   
it again.  
  
After a short while he took her into his arms and carried her into the house. He would   
have to call up the police or rescue services to help him. She could have serious   
internal injuries, and while he knew he probably shouldn`t have moved her, he judged   
that he would rather make her warm and dry than risking having her going into shock   
right here on the beach.  
  
As he was about half way to the house, she surprised him by talking.  
  
"Where am I?", she asked in a very weak voice.   
  
Charlie swallowed his surprised response and instead said: "You`re at Lake Thompson   
in the state of Washington".   
  
To that the girl smiled and mysteriously whispered: "At least I landed on the right   
continent".  
  
Charlie Philips carried the girl inside.  
  
However months had passed between the explosion at Sunnydale High School, and   
Buffy`s return.   
  
Willow Rosenberg had cried at Oz`s departure, but the beast in him had become   
stronger of late and she was getting ready to move to Los Angeles to study at UCLA, so   
Oz had left her. At least they had decided to take a break, while he tried to sort out his   
life.   
  
Angel had gone first and eventhough it was unlikely that he would stay for long in LA, he   
had actually bought a building in which he had promised they were all welcome to move   
into.  
  
Xander and Cordelia had finally after their recovery both chosen to go to UCLA although   
they were in for a harder time than her, as they still had to pay their way from the money   
that they could scrape together. However the cost for rent was out of the way, as they   
would also be moving in with Angel, it would be a little easier for them.  
  
Two weeks after Wendy`s death Giles had taken his leave from the Council and left it to   
his successor a strange englishman named Wesley and his prodigy a black girl named   
Lara to keep Sunnydale safe. Rupert and Jenny Giles were also retiring to a different   
profession as Giles picked up his old profession of curator at a very large and well   
paying museum in Los Angeles, while Jenny would take the great job she had been   
offered at a newly started software company riding the dotcom wave. They had already   
bought a large home close to the museum. Willow was sure that it was already littered   
with ancient books, mysterious relics, spell components, a large Internet connection and   
more than a little computer equipment.  
  
Still Willow couldn`t shake a strange foreboding feeling as she drove out of Sunnydale   
as if she wasn`t leaving behind her troubles but instead heading towards new ones.  
  
Charlie Philips noticed that the girl wasn`t actually all that tall, and she couldn`t be more   
than sixteen. He had stripped the cold wet dress of her and wrapped her in blankets.   
She was sleeping on his bed like nothing had happened. He had already called over the   
paramedics, they couldn`t be more than moments away.  
  
There was a knock on the door.   
  
Outside stood two paramedics. The apparent leader asked: "Where is she?". Charlie   
motioned for them to come inside and pointed to the bedroom. They rushed to her side.  
  
As one of them carefully examined her."You say you have no idea, where she came   
from", the other asked.   
  
"No, she seemed to fall right out of the sky", Charlie said. Immediately realizing how   
stupid and impossible that sounded. "Well, maybe she jumped down from the cliff", he   
conceded.  
  
"Suicide attempt?", the paramedic asked his partner.  
  
However the other paramedic had a sudden inspiration and said: "Nope, she was out to   
prove something to her teenage friends. I say it was a dare. And anyway there is   
nothing wrong with her. I can feel no broken bones, nor is there any visible marks:   
neither bruises, birthmarks or otherwise".  
  
His partner accepted the idea, and more strangely suggested: "Well I guess we could   
leave her here. She`ll be fine after she gets over the shock of the cold water. If you   
would lend her your bed, she should be out of your life by the morning".   
  
This ran counter to all Charlie believed and knew about medical and paramedic   
procedures, but he said nothing. He was entertaining strange thoughts, as he guided   
the two to the door.  
  
As they had left he walked back into the bedroom and once again looked at the blond   
girl. She still slept, however a warm red flush gave her beauty a greater depth. Charlie   
studied her. She seemed to have the deep tan of a girl, who likes to be outside, but   
none the wrinkles of a regular sunbather. She had no moles, birth- or beautymarks as   
he had seen, when he had undressed her in fact her skin seemed as flawless as that of   
a newborn child. Maybe they had been right about her, but the trajectory of her fall had   
been straight, she had come from above.   
  
Charlie sighed in confusion and left the bedroom to her. He spent the night on his couch   
awaiting the morning where more answers would probably come.  
  
And the night passed.  
  
Charlie heard her move about before he saw her. Then a voice asked: "Is there   
someone?". Her accent was californian like that of his agent. Quickly he answered:   
"Yes, I am in kitchen. It`s the door on the right, when you exit the bedroom".   
  
She walked into the room once again dressed in the white gown he had found her in. It   
looked like something right out of the a romantic hollywood movie, it was not good for   
anything except making the wearer look good and she didn`t really need the help.   
  
"Uhm, I am sorry for last night. I had a small accident and kind of landed in that sea   
outthere", she said as if that explained everything. But before he could answer, she   
said: "Thank you for rescueing me". Her tone betrayed a certain amount of urgency like   
she was about to leave.  
  
"No problem. I had some paramedics examine you, but they gave a perfect bill of   
health, so you can be about your business anytime. But I would be very happy, if I could   
share my breakfast and maybe some of my daughter`s more practical clothing with   
you", Charlie said with a smile.   
  
Buffy looked up and down the older man. He had to be in his late fifties. He was   
muscled like he worked out everyday and had the kind of aura of friendliness you would   
expect from an uncle or grandfather. She accepted with a smile.   
  
As they ate, he looked up as if he had suddenly remembered something and asked: "By   
the way how did you get into that sea last night?".   
  
Buffy sat in silence considering her options. She could lie and tell him some story or…  
  
"I was put down in the wrong place", she stated.   
  
His eyebrows shot up in disbelief and distrust. "Really I don`t want to ask this, since I   
am still hoping. You weren`t set down by a UFO or some other nonexistent stuff like   
that, were you?". He was disappointed that she would lie like that.  
  
Buffy laughed, shook her head and said: "No, no aliens, no UFOs or X-files stuff like   
that. No, I could tell you, I jumped out of a plane, if you would believe it. But the truth is   
sometimes stranger than fiction and my truth is a part of a different reality, a reality in   
which good people like you shouldn`t be involved".  
  
Charlie considered her answer for a minute. She had more or less admitted to hiding   
the truth from him. However she also wouldn`t tell him, because she thought he would   
think her answer a lie. That worked for him. Sometimes knowing a person was honest   
meant more to him than an answer.   
  
They finished breakfast in idle conversation about the world situation. The girl seemed   
to have only questions, but Charlie hadn`t talked to someone in a while and used the   
opportunity to have someone but himself listen to his voice.  
  
Finally he said: "Well, let`s go pick out two sets of my daughter`s old clothes for you and   
then I`ll drive out into town".  
  
A few hours later Buffy stood in a middle sized town in the sunshine dressed in jeans, a   
t-shirt and a leather jacket that Charlie had gotten for his daughter but which she had   
long outgrown.  
  
"So where will you go from here?", he asked as she looked at the busstation.   
  
"Back home, if it`s still there", she answered.  
  
"Is it a long trip?", Charlie asked.  
  
"Yeah", she answered and sighed as if remembering something that weighed heavily on   
her mind.  
  
"Good, then can I help you a little more", Charlie took her hand and laid a few hundred   
dollars in her hand.   
  
Buffy looked at the money in surprise and she was about to give it back, when Charlie   
said: "You can`t fool me. I know you have no money and those will get you to California   
I hope. We`ll call it a fee".  
  
"For what?", Buffy asked as she put the bills into her breast pocked.  
  
"Peeking", he said with a grin and drove the car out of the lot, as Buffy blushed from ear   
to ear. 


	4. Homecoming

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 4: Homecoming.  
  
  
It was early morning, when a bright red car drove up in front of an old brick apartment   
building in a part of Los Angeles. Willow Rosenberg walked up to her new home. She   
glanced across the building and whispered to herself: "So this is home. Hi, home".  
  
She walked up to the frontdoor and knocked timidly at the door. Nearly a minute passed   
until a deep voice of a man said: "Who is there?".   
  
Willow smiled as she recognized the voice of Angel. "It`s me Willow. Oh, step away   
from the door, the sun is up", she answered as she heard the lock slide open. Willow   
stepped into the dark hallway and slammed the door behind her.   
  
Angel stepped out of the deep shadows and smiled to the shy girl he had known for   
three years now. "I am sorry I can`t help you get your things inside. I could go wake   
Xander and Cordelia, but I think it`ll be quite a while before they would be in any mood   
to talk". Angel gestured for her to follow him into the room besides the hall. It was the   
kitchen.  
  
"A kitchen. From the outside this place looked like an apartment building", Willow   
commented as Angel showed her around the shared kitchen.   
  
"It isn`t. I didn`t want any misunderstandings, so I bought the entire place and had it   
redecorated. The top floor is a kind of huge living room and gym. Xander and Cordy`s   
apartment is on the 1st floor, you get the entire 2nd floor, and I have built a place for me   
in the basement. This floor is reserved for some kind of business or the like. I`ve been   
thinking about opening a detective agency", Angel smiled.   
  
"I get an entire floor!", Willow exclaimed in surprise, "how do you pay for all this?".  
  
"I`ve been using some of the many resources my dark side had accumulated over the   
years. I think of it as some kind of revenge", he sat at the shared kitchen table and   
began drinking what looked and smelled like tea.   
  
Willow sat down as well. "I am tired. My furniture has arrived right?", she suddenly   
asked.   
  
Angel nodded.  
  
"Good then I think I`ll go to sleep. The only things in my car is books and some   
spellcraft stuff I couldn`t let the movers see", she said.   
  
Angel showed her, where the movers had placed her bed.  
  
A few days later on the road to Sunnydale.  
  
Buffy looked on as a river of steel, aluminium and plastic driven by a barely controlled   
series of explosions passed by her. She was walking towards a gas station. Not long   
after she had arrived in California, she had decided to go easy on the little amount of   
money she had and had begun hitchhiking towards LA and when she had gotten closer   
to home, she had begun looking for rides going towards Sunnydale. Now however she   
was hungry and the gas station was large and looked modern enough to have hot food   
and something to drink. And it was still open eventhough it looked to be way past ten in   
the evening.  
  
The doors soundlessly glided out of her way as she walked into the gas station. At the   
counter sat a young familiar seeming guy and read a comic.   
  
He looked at the girl after she had passed him. She looked like any other disheveled   
roadside traveller. She was dressed in tight dusty jeans and a leather jacket over a   
black t-shirt. Her hair hung free and cascaded down her back all the way to her hips. In   
the hair the girl had woven two long thin braids, which kept the hair out of her face. She   
walked with pride and the confidence of someone, who knew her way around the world.   
Like any other young man would be, he was immediately smitten by her.   
  
He was so occupied with her that he forgot the first rule, they had taught him here.   
Always look out for any running cars being parked just outside the door.   
  
Buffy hardly noticed the two young men clad in the same style as her, who had just   
entered the store. She was occupied by the choice between buying a sandwich with   
ham and cheese or a piece of freshly microwaved pizza.  
  
Suddenly a voice screamed: "This is a robbery!". She wheeled about and faced a young   
man, who was pointing a revolver at her, while his buddy had pressed a shotgun up   
under the nose of the storeclerk.   
  
Buffy sighed in exasperation. She didn`t need this or the attention this would attract.   
Especially she didn`t need to get arrested and have her background checked.  
  
The younger guy looked at her and said. "You look good and you seem to down on your   
luck as well".   
  
"Great what come on is this. The chick looks scruffy, let`s try to get her to help us in   
crime. Come on!", Buffy thought.  
  
"What would you say to giving me a kiss and then I give the ride of your life", he said   
and swaggered towards her, waving the gun around with each word.  
  
Buffy`s nose easily caught the smell of alcohol on his breath. She smiled and tried to   
look interested, while she thought: "Time to take my new body out to the test".  
  
He came within easy reach. And Buffy reacted.   
  
In the blink of an eye she had stepped forward almost passing him. Then she grapped   
his jacket and in one movement flipped herself down and back, while pressing him up   
and over with her leg, which she had placed on his stomach. He was meant to fly   
backwards in a neat curve and most likely knock himself out.  
  
But Buffy was still unaccustomed to her new body, and so she deeply underestimated   
her own strength and speed having never before applied it. So he was cleanly lifted   
from the floor, but when she straightened her leg he didn`t fly backwards, instead he   
flew straight up into the ceiling and smacked against it. Hard.  
  
Buffy however didn`t have the time to await the results of her actions. Instead she   
vaulted to her feet and ran forwards with lightning speed. The guy hadn`t even landed   
yet.   
  
Jerry Reynolds was in his own mind a very good robber. He had done this before, he   
hadn`t been caught, and he had only once been forced to shoot a guy, and then he had   
done it in the guy`s foot instead of killing him and making him a murderer. It had only   
crippled the other guy and that was good in Jerry`s book. This time he had taken his   
brother Terry with him to teach him the new family trade. But Jerry hadn`t counted on   
there being a beautiful girl in the station nor could he have known that this girl was a   
walking talking war machine made to destroy true demons and other assorted forces of   
evil.   
  
Jerry only heard the surprised scream and oophmf of his brother. He managed to turn,   
but that only made his chin even more of a target for an oncoming foot.  
  
Buffy saw the other guy move. She knew that she had to take him out before he blew of   
the head of the clerk or something like that. She had no experience in managing   
hostage situations, so she couldn`t allow herself to get into one.   
  
So when she reached a good distance, she launched herself into a full flying kick   
towards the guy`s head.   
  
The only thing that kept Jerry`s neck unbroken and his skull from flying apart was blind   
luck and the same fact, which had driven him to crime in first place. He had a thick skull   
full of air.  
  
Buffy used the bounce from the impact to roll backwards in the air, making a clean salto   
and land on her feet.  
  
Johnathan looked up in surprise. One minute he had been standing with a gun to his   
head, the next the culprit had flown past him and hammered headfirst into the back wall.   
Unfortunately Johnathan`s position behind the robber had left him in the way of his flight   
and so he found himself again on the floor.  
  
A sweet voice asked: "Uh… Sorry about that. Are you alright back there?".  
  
Johnathan rose from the floor and saw the beautiful girl standing in the aisles. "Aside   
from being a little surprised and bruised I am in every way okay", he replied trying to   
sound glib.   
  
She smiled and set something on the counter. "I`d also like a sandwich", she said and   
smiled at his surprised expression.   
  
"What about those two?", he asked and looked at the girl. He was sure, he had seen her   
before, but why couldn`t he put his finger on it.  
  
"They should be put in jail or maybe in the hospital first", she said and looked not the   
least bit sorry.   
  
"I have pressed the panic button, so it`s won`t be long before the police is here. They`ll   
sort them out", he explained as he handed her the sandwich.   
  
"Then I`ll get gone", she said, paid and walked towards the door.   
  
"Wait, you can`t leave. They`ll need your statement and I haven`t thanked you yet", he   
called out to her.   
  
Buffy stopped suddenly remembering, where she had seen the boy before. "Is   
Sunnydale far from here?", she asked.   
  
"No, only couple of miles. The police will be coming from there", he said and moved out   
behind her. He felt like, he should remember her, like he had known her.  
  
"The police in Sunnydale doesn`t care. Believe me... I`ll leave now", the last words were   
spoken like a challenge to him. He didn`t dare contradict the tone in her voice. And so   
she walked out the door, leaving Johnathan, an unconcious guy behind the counter and   
another guy lying in the freezer.  
  
Only minutes later the police arrived, finding the two robbers and a now very pale   
Johnathan, who explained that a strange blond girl had kicked those two around after   
they had tried to rob the store and threathened her with a gun. And as the police and   
paramedics left the shaken Johnathan whispered: "I remember you Buffy. I remember   
you protecting us. I remember your death".   
  
Next afternoon a blond girl walked in the ruins of her old school. Slowly she bent down   
and picked up a blackened brick. "This time it wasn`t me, who did it", she said with a   
smile and walked towards the library, where she in reality had spent her life as a teen.   
  
It was Sunday, and the place should have been deserted, but when she reached the   
outer walls, she heard the sound of someone fighting.   
  
Buffy snuck closer and looked through the hole, where before a window would have   
been.   
  
In the exact spot, where the library table had stood, there lay a blanket and a very   
conservatively dressed man sat there looking at two girls fighting. One was   
blackskinned and very young. Buffy placed her age at about 14. She was fighting and   
losing against a blackhaired girl, who seemed to enjoy the fight more than the black girl.   
Finally the blackhaired girl, after a long series of deftly blocked punches, swept the legs   
away under the black girl.   
  
"I give up Faith", the black girl said from the ground.   
  
Buffy noted the other girl`s name. That had been the name of Kendra`s succesor, then   
that would make the black girl Wendy`s succesor. Buffy tried to remain as silent as   
possible to avoid detection.  
  
"Here", the girl called Faith said and helped the other girl up.  
  
"So Mr. Pryce how did I do?", the black girl asked.   
  
"Very well Lara. You must remember that not only is Faith older, she`s also very   
experienced at fighting demons", the man explained and rose from his blanket.   
  
"Faith, could you do me a favor… Go out and slay tonight. I have to be at a family event,   
the vampires have increased in number after this town was without a Slayer for a few   
weeks", Lara asked and looked pleadingly to the older girl.  
  
"Sure, L", Faith replied. "Are we done here?", she asked, what Buffy had guessed was   
the local Watcher.   
  
"Yes, but…", the man was about begin another of Watcher speech, but Faith just turned   
and walked away.   
  
Buffy judged Kendra`s successor to be a little rebellious. She needed information, but   
Willy`s wouldn`t open for another few hours. Finally she needed to go somewhere else,   
somewhere more terrifying that going up to face the biggest demon. She would soon be   
forced by her conscience to go visit her mother. 


	5. Discoveries

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 5: Discoveries  
  
  
Buffy walked up the street toward her home. Each step seemed harder than the last.   
She wasn`t approaching in the dark of the night or hidden beneath the cloak of the   
Messenger. She glanced at her home. And realized that things had changed.  
  
Instead of the simple garden her mother had kept there was a regular show of flowers   
and well kept bushes. The old Summers car was gone, replaced by a run of the mill   
japanese car and the house was obviously being repainted. Buffy walked closer and   
glanced at the mailbox. The name listed wasn`t Summers but Elison. Her mother had   
moved. She needed information and fast. Buffy walked towards the home of her friends.  
  
It was getting dark, but Buffy didn`t notice. She was distraught almost to the point of   
crying. She couldn`t find anyone, she knew. Giles, Xander, Cordelia and Willow had all   
moved. Giles apartment was up for rent and his neighbour hadn`t know where he and   
his wife had moved. Xander`s parents had just told her that he had moved to LA to live   
with his girlfriend. And Willow`s parents hadn`t been home, but Willow`s room had been   
entirely empty. She had moved away to some college somewhere. And so had her   
mother. Buffy walked down the sidewalk towards a red glowing neon sign, which only   
read Willy`s. Maybe that old stoolie knew something.  
  
For Willy life had turned to the better. Angel had moved away, the slayer`s gang was   
gone and the new slayers knew nothing of his existence. His customers were happy   
and the blood sold as before Buffy had come to town. Willy limped over to his   
storeroom, he had to gather some more warm blood for his customers.  
  
Thomas 'Rake' Willis was a modern vampire, he followed the times and tried to adapt to   
the new rules when they got made. He was a survivor clinging onto even his undeath   
like it was a huge price. These days life in Sunnydale was easier. And he should know   
being a veteran of not only the replacement slayer years, the terror campaign of Spike,   
but also of the year and a half when Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel had almost   
entirely decimated the vampire population of Sunnydale. He began drinking his very   
bloody Mary, when he felt a sense of dread, a sense of something approaching. Slowly   
he put down his drink and stared at the door to the street.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and a small young girl walked inside.   
  
Rake almost spit out the still warm blood as he saw someone he knew had died at least   
twice. In the door stood a much longer haired but otherwise unchanged Buffy. The bane   
of the Master, Spike and any other evil than had ever crossed paths with her. A girl,   
who`s human life had been ended a long time ago in an inferno partly because of the   
actions of the owner of this place. Rake left the glass, where it stood and edged towards   
the entrance as he expected the life of every evil being in the bar to end within minutes.   
  
But luck was not with Rake this time. Buffy knew him from before and she knew very   
well that unlike the other beings she saw, he alone had recognized her. So as he   
silently tried to walk out the door, Buffy spun around and hammered a recently made   
stake into his back. He died in a miniature explosion of dust motes.   
  
Buffy turned to face the barroom. All around the growls of vampires made it sound like   
she had stepped into a lion`s cage. She stared around the room and for a microsecond   
the demons inside their hosts, each and everyone knew, that this girl was more than   
capable of destroying them and still sit down later and have a drink. All of them   
understood that this was the time to leave and all quietly slipped away through the   
various exits leaving the already sparsely populated bar completely empty.  
  
Willy walked out from the storeroom only to find his bar empty. All his regulars had   
disappeared without a trace or a sound. Cautiously he walked into the room. The last   
time this had happened he had been stuck all night feeding pieces of human flesh to a   
chaos demon in the sewers. Then a human figure stepped out of the shadows, which   
were plentiful in his bar.  
  
"I seem to disturb the clientele of your bar everytime I come here. It seems to be a bad   
habit of mine", she replied and sat calmly at the bar like she was just another customer.  
  
"Aren`t humans supposed to stay dead?", he asked surly and limped to the place across   
from her. Nothing surprised him about that girl or this town anymore. She had returned   
from the dead once why not again. At least this time she didn`t seem hell bent on   
sending him into bankruptcy or the hospital. Well not yet anyway.  
  
"Well, yeah. It seems, they make exceptions for me", she quiped and smiled.  
  
"Okay then, what can I help you with?", he asked hoping that she didn`t need money   
again.   
  
"Well, you helped me a lot last time. So I was thinking. How about you give me some   
money without me beating the crap out of you and then you answer a couple of   
questions of mine", she said and smiled sweetly at him.  
  
Willy scowled at her, hesitating slightly, then open the register and handed her a small   
stack of hundred dollar bills.   
  
"Business has been really good lately", she replied as she counted the money. "Now for   
some Q and A", Buffy said.  
  
"Where is Angel?", she asked.  
  
"He left for LA thankfully and took most of your old gang with him. I think they are all   
there now, even that smart redhaired girl", he explained.   
  
"Have you heard anything about my mother?", she asked and looked like she didn`t   
expect him to know anything.   
  
And just as expected he shook his head.  
  
"Do you know the patrol route of the slayers?", she inquired.  
  
Willy looked surprised at her. "I know nothing about such…", but before he could finish   
the lie, Buffy cut him off.  
  
"Don`t lie to me. The route of the Slayer false or not has probably been one of the most   
common trade items in Sunnydale for these last 4 years. So what is it?", she asked in a   
tone that indicated impatience.   
  
"Okay as far as I know this is it", Willy said and handed her, a map of Sunnydale   
covered with a red marker track and small notes about times and dates. It looked like   
some of the vampires Buffy and later Wendy has slain had been out to make a map of   
the most common patrol route of the Slayer. Buffy felt satisfied in her knowledge that   
she had never followed routes and had instead visited collection spots around town at   
random times and at random intervals even several times in one night.  
  
"Thank you and I am almost sorry for scaring away your customers", she replied and left   
half the stack of dollar bills on table.   
  
Willy took the money and watched in surprise as the girl walked out of his bar like   
nothing had happened.   
  
Buffy walked towards one of the parks indicated on the map as one of the places, where   
the Slayer would be next. Weatherly Park her old hunting ground.   
  
Faith shivered slightly from the cold air brought in by the wind from the sea. The   
weather was that great this year. Slowly she walked into the boring park. She had been   
a Slayer for quite a while now and felt capable of handling most if not all challenges.   
She had been chosen as the Slayer after Kendra had been killed by a vampire named   
Kakitos. Faith noticed that there seemed to be no vampires around tonight. In fact the   
park seemed very peaceful.  
  
She had no sooner thought that thought to the end, when a piercing scream of pain   
resounded from some place up ahead. Faith ran as fast as she could and stumbled   
through the bushes to try and save who ever had screamed. However instead of a   
bloodthirsty vampire drinking the blood of some helpless teenager, Faith encounted a   
strange scene.   
  
A small blond longhaired girl was fighting a big grey skinned demon… The demon   
punched the girl hard. Faith moved in expecting her to fly to the ground and fall   
unconcious. However instead the girl merely grunted in pain. Faith stopped in her tracks   
again. This girl was not normal.  
  
Buffy somersaulted backwards and using her strength and an outstretched leg to make   
a vertical circle kick, landing on her two feet. Not even her longer hair got in her way.   
The demon staggered back and she pressed her offensive. She punched as hard as   
she could, putting every ounce of strength, speed and her entire body into the punch. It   
impacted with a wet ripping sound. Suddenly both the demon and girl stopped moving.  
  
Faith couldn`t help herself. Her mouth fell open. First the girl delivered a kick worthy of   
the Matrix or some Hong Kong martial arts movie, which almost lifted the demon into   
the air. Then that little bit of a girl continued with a simple no frills punch, but with an   
almost disgusting result. Her hand had penetrated the chest of the thing like it wasn`t   
there and she had carried through with enough force to dig all the way through to the   
other side. A thick oily flow of blood covered the girl`s arm after she withdrew it from the   
demon`s insides. It toppled over and began dissolving into a black slime.  
  
The girl turned around and saw Faith. "Fuck, I had hoped to stay incognito around you",   
she cursed, while the strange blood evaporated and left the girl`s arm and clothing   
clean.   
  
"Who… No what are you?", Faith walked up to the girl. She knew no fear, never had   
and never would.  
  
Buffy smiled. Eventhough the girl seemed to be the perfect warrior, she was only   
covering up for her insecurities. "I am… Well it`s hard to explain. The closest thing   
would be to say that I was awakened from death to achieve, what I missed the last time   
around".  
  
Faith drew a stake and threw it at the girl, taking it as a cue that she had returned from   
the dead.   
  
Buffy saw the stake coming and easily caught it like the Master had caught her   
crossbow bolts. "Hey, stop that. I am not a vampire. I have a pulse", she said and threw   
the stake casually over the shoulder.   
  
Faith almost gaped in surprise again, but managed to stop her self. "Then what are   
you?", she asked cautiously without letting down her guard.  
  
"I am what could be called a spirit of good. An Angel is the proper christian term even if I   
have never actually met God as far as I can remember", Buffy explained and walked   
over to sit on a bench nearby. Faith cautiously followed.  
  
"And what do you want from me? I am not a saint nor do I plan to be", she said.   
  
Buffy smiled. "Nor am I. I was chosen for this, because I was the only recently dead   
Slayer meant to be alive and a Slayer", Buffy explained and invited Faith to sit across   
from her.  
  
"Wait a minute. You are a recently dead Slayer. You look nothing like either Kendra or   
Wendy", Faith was unconvinced and remained standing right in front of the now sitting   
girl.  
  
"Close but no sale. I am a slightly older version. My name is Buffy", Buffy smiled in the   
friendliest manner, she could manage at that moment.  
  
Faith looked even more surprised. "But… Well it would… Have done it before…", she   
mumbled as thoughts and memories from old fighting lessons together with Wendy   
raced through her mind.   
  
"Before you say anything. Yes, it`s the second time I return from the dead. Yes, I know I   
am making a nuisance of myself not staying dead and all that. Well this time I am back.   
I am back to stay and fight. Oh and Faith. Dodge!", Buffy screamed when a group of   
three vampires suddenly jumped over the bench behind Faith and attacked.  
  
Faith dropped prone and kicked the first vampire in ankles. Buffy jumped up and   
viciously kicked the rightmost vampire in the face. It flew backwards over the bench   
onto the grass. It`s jaw was pulverized.  
  
The central vampire rushed Buffy and threw her to the ground with him on top trying to   
bite her jugular.   
  
The vampire Faith was fighting growled in surprise, when it suddenly joined the others   
on the ground. Faith jumped to her feet and drew another stake from her jacket. The   
vampire staggered to his feet only to find Faith`s stake easily sliding into his chest and   
ending his undeath.  
  
Buffy freed herself from the vampire`s grip with sheer strength. Her hands finally free,   
she quickly grabbed the vampire`s collarbone on each side and snapped them like   
toothpicks under a steamroller. Then she threw him off her, grabbed one of the boards   
making up the park bench and broke off a wooden sliver. The vampire desperately tried   
to run away, but even from the ground Buffy`s throwing aim was true and soon the   
vampire found it`s place amongst the truly dead.  
  
Faith turned to help the girl, when a strangely slackjawed vampire grabbed her from   
behind. It had caught her unaware and it was strong. She was left without enough   
breath to fight back properly. She felt the deadly state of unconciousness approach   
quickly. Suddenly she heard a cracking sound like a branch being broken followed by a   
wet wrenching and the sound of a vampire dusting. The deathgrip of the vampire   
disappeared and she quickly regained her bearings. Behind her stood the girl.   
  
"What did you do?", Faith asked in surprise.  
  
"I tore off it`s head", Buffy said like that happened every day.  
  
"Have you ever heard of a stake?", Faith asked.  
  
Buffy smiled and nodded. "I don`t know, what came over me either. I am not usually so   
violent, but when I saw it grab you and… I guess I have issues with demons".  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway thanks B", Faith interrupted her then suddenly paused. "You   
didn`t come here just to introduce yourself have you?", she guessed.  
  
Buffy shook her head. "No, I need your help"… 


	6. Third Chance

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 6: Third chance…  
  
  
Angel hammered both stakes home as the vampires tried to rush him again. They   
turned to dust.  
  
"Ohhh, my head", Xander moaned from the ground in front of the vampires car.   
  
"Are you sure you`re okay", Cordy asked and helped her boyfriend to his feet.   
  
"Yeah, they just dropped me like I had never fought a battle before", Xander complained   
and leaned against the big car. Cordelia suddenly eyed it greedily, while Angel stepped   
up to stand behind her.  
  
"Were those the last for the night?", Xander asked the vampire.   
  
"Yeah, I think we should get home now. You both have classes to attend and Willow   
could need my help researching the reason for the large number of evils in LA", Angel   
suggested.   
  
"Couldn`t we keep their car?", Cordelia whined as they walked away.  
  
"I don`t think that is a good idea. There are probably a lot of criminal acts associated   
with it. I don`t want the police to look to close at my detective agency. I am not really an   
american citizen you now", Angel explained, while they walked towards his car.   
  
"I thought Doyle was creating a safe front for you", Xander commented.  
  
"Doyle is barely mentally capable of walking upright most of the day. He couldn`t create   
a false ID, unless someone gave it to him", Cordelia despised the demon man with a   
passion bordering on homocidal after he had made a pass at her. "Why couldn`t the   
powers that be send Whistler like they did the last time?", she said. They had met the   
much more powerful rogue demon, when Acathla had popped up over a year ago.   
  
"I don`t know. Maybe they had something important, which needed doing", Angel said.  
  
On a rooftop overlooking the scene of the battle a cloaked figure disappeared back into   
the night. Carrying news for it`s master.  
  
Faith lived in a rundown motel in a badly kept room. Buffy didn`t really care though. The   
Slayer had offered her to bunk on the floor there, while she went about her usual night   
patrol.   
  
"Finally a moments peace", Buffy thought and sat on floor. She was getting ready to   
sleep, when a strange feeling overcame her. It reminded her of the strange fuzzy   
feeling, she experienced, when having prophetic dreams back when she was still alive.   
Suddenly a white glow shone upon her and voice spoke: "Are you well my earth bound   
sister?".  
  
Buffy recognized the voice of the one who had helped her with the decision to become a   
warrior for the forces of good. She also knew that it had spoken the truth. She was no   
longer entirely human, but a mighty force of good set in a human form. "I am feeling   
good yes. You wanted to speak to me", she said and looked at the woman no one but   
her could sense.   
  
"Yes. Your mission doesn`t seem to lay here in Sunnydale. What do you have in mind   
Buffy", it glided closer and sat besides her.  
  
Buffy smiled and looked at the woman. Buffy saw the life this woman had lived before   
choosing the path of light. "I will seek out the people important to me, before I died.   
Then I will guide them towards their individual purpose, while defeating all evil that I   
encounter on the way", she explained lapsing into the mode of speak common to the   
Others.   
  
"Good. What about your mother?", she asked.  
  
"I know that I`ll see her again soon, but it won`t be here in Sunnydale. My friends and   
family has all moved to Los Angeles. I will seek her there", Buffy explained.  
  
"You have always been blessed with prophetic senses. What does the near future   
hold?", the woman asked.  
  
"I don`t know. The visions have never come to me by my own will before. But I think I`ll   
try to invoke them after our conversation is over", Buffy explained.  
  
The white light dimmed. "Goodbye my sister. We will talk from time to time", the Angelic   
being said and Buffy felt a warm hands caress her chin, before the room returned to   
normal.  
  
Buffy looked around and smiled. "Let`s see if I can tune in to the future", she joked,   
closed her eyes and relaxed. Soon she fell asleep. And a vision came to her.  
  
Buffy walked atop a high rise building the street far far below her. She was walking   
along side clear plate glass windows. The curtains were drawn. A window was open.   
She walked inside the dark room. People in suits were having a meeting. A demon sat   
at the end of the table. Buffy looked at a letterhead of the papers they were all either   
carrying or looking at. "Wolfram and Hart" stood at the top. "You!", someone said. Buffy   
wheeled about. Now she was standing in an alley. Demons were advancing upon her   
friends. They wouldn`t be able to win. Angelus and his lady Darla lead the attackers.   
The dream accelerated. It was coming to her in flashes now. Pictures of old enemies,   
friends and family. Flames and screams resounded. Everything stopped. She was   
standing and looking at small monument. "To the brave souls, who fought and died at   
the Stand of Los Angeles, 1999-2000", below hundreds of names of people she knew or   
should have known was written. Buffy turned slowly and looked upon a world ruled by   
Demons. Red clouds filled the sky and human souls screamed in unison at the demons   
passing below their prisons in iron cages. "You must listen. You must not be blinded by   
your new self. Be Buffy", a voice said.  
  
Buffy awoke with a surprised gasp. She knew that time was short and of the essence.   
  
"Wow, peace", Faith yelped in surprise as Buffy jumped to her feet and grapped her   
bag.   
  
"I have to leave. Thanks for letting me stay", Buffy said and went into the bathroom.  
  
"Hey don`t mention it", Faith yelled and fell back onto the bed. She needed sleep. The   
last patrol had been rough. There had been a lot of vampires around.  
  
A little later Buffy walked out of the motel. She needed to go to LA and help her friend   
and her one true love before evil forces destroyed the hope of the world leaving it   
without human defenders.  
  
Two nights later.  
  
"Listen Xander. I am not liking this one bit. We moved here, so that we could get away   
from the demons and evils in Sunnydale. Then Angel gets into the detective business.   
And I am down with that. But why does he and Doyle constantly need our help. And why   
are we even helping?", Cordelia whined like she always did, when they were on their   
way into some unknown situation.  
  
"Because he doesn`t ask us to pay rent", Xander answered and looked to the silent   
redhead. He felt that separation from Oz wasn`t doing Willow any good. She had thrown   
herself into intensive academia at day and studying the black arts at night. Willow was   
becoming like Angel silent and brooding. She had no other friends than Angel, Cordelia   
and himself. Just like Cordy she couldn`t stand the visionary halfdemon Doyle. And   
worse they didn`t spend time together either, because of their conflicting schedules. In   
fact this excursion was the first time he had seen her all week.  
  
"So how are you?", he asked Willow as they walked towards the dark and hopefully   
abandoned building.   
  
She smiled slightly and said: "I`m okay. I miss home a little but I am mostly too busy to   
notice". Xander nodded. They reached the old wooden door. It was open.   
  
"He`s here. Just as Doyle thought he would be", Xander said.  
  
"If those strange blue demons hasn`t also attacked him like they tried to do with Doyle   
and Angel", Cordelia said and reminded everyone why Angel and Doyle wasn`t with   
them. Doyle had been attacked by a large group of blue scaly demons on the way out   
the door of the agency, while they had tried to do the same trick using Angel`s sewer   
entrance. But Willow`s protective spell had blocked their entrance on the sewer side   
and Angel had been able to save Doyle from getting killed on their doorstep. But the   
demons had lingered in the sewers and now lay siege upon their home. Angel had   
called the University. Now they were hoping that Whistler, Angel`s old ally, would be   
able to help them. Either with information or physically the last option being preferred.   
  
The three friends walked inside and looked around. The strange being was rumor to   
have a lair on the first floor. Xander walked up the creaking old wooden stairway. "I   
hope, we`re not walking into a trap", Cordy whispered again. Willow responded by   
drawing a pouch of spell components.  
  
They opened the door and looked inside. Someone had lived in the room and not to   
long ago. A still smoking cigarette lay in an ashtray and several half full bottles of   
alcohol stood on a small fold out table besides an old bed.   
  
"I don`t think he`s home", Cordy said and turned to leave.  
  
"Cordelia stay here", Xander said harshly and she sneaked back inside.  
  
"We`ll wait for him", Xander declared and sat on the bed.  
  
"I`ll go move the car into the alley, so that no one recognizes it", Willow said and turned   
to leave.   
  
"Willow, we shouldn`t split up like this", Xander cautioned.  
  
"I can take care of myself, my magic is very strong. We really don`t want any of the   
demons to find us or track us here do we?", she asked. Xander shook his head.  
  
"Good. I have some stuff in the car, which can make this room demon proof until   
Whistler gets here. I forgot to bring it", Willow smiled in apolegy and left.   
  
"If he`s still alive", Cordy whispered and rolled her eyes.   
  
Willow walked quickly down the alley. She wasn`t as confident as she had tried to   
convince the others she was. She was in fact very afraid. However she really needed   
the things in her car. She once again wished Giles and Jenny had come home from   
their holiday, but that would take a few days. They would have been able to help them   
immediately. Suddenly two dark shapes jumped down from above. One landed in front   
of the young witch, the other behind her.   
  
Willow recognized the blue things. She had seen Wendy fight and nearly lose her life to   
one of these a few months before her death. Willow Rosenberg had only one chance to   
survive. Quickly she reached into her pocket to gather the components. She opened her   
mouth to speak the lethal incantation, when the front demon punched her in the gut.   
Willow screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground in burning pain. Then an almost   
inhuman scream of rage resounded throughout the alley.  
  
Willow heard light feet landing in front of her. The demon growled deep and yelled in it`s   
inhuman language at it`s enemy. Willow found hope. Maybe Faith or Whistler or even   
that new Slayer had come to save them. Maybe they would live to survive this attack.   
Willow heard the demon behind her jump. There was the sound of someone moving   
and then a mighty crash. Then someone punched the demon hard. Willow could clearly   
hear it`s surprised gasp, followed by deeper gasps for air. She could hear something   
that more or less sounded like a rattlesnake, followed by a deep sigh. Something fell to   
the ground in front of her. She still couldn`t move for the pain.  
  
Buffy let go of the demon she had just strangled. It`s partner was no smarter and tried to   
rush her as well. She had thrown it into a dumpster, but it simply ignored the pain and   
ran towards her. It opened it`s large toothy maw and jumped forward to bite a large   
chunk out of her. But Buffy was ready for it. She quickly stepped forward with her arms   
held out in front of her. She easily caught each of the monster`s open jaws. For a   
moment her new muscles struggled with the very very strong jaw muscles of the   
monster. Then something snapped. The demon howled as it fell to the asphalt. Buffy   
walked behind it and casually took the cover of a manhole. Using it as a blade she   
hammered it into the demon`s neck until it stuck in the asphalt.  
  
Willow heard the huge snap and then a series of wet sounds followed by a strange   
clang of metal against stone. She was able to move. But she had spots before her eyes   
and was very whoosy. A warm hand grabbed her shoulder and very carefully lifted her.   
Willow felt like the warmth of the touch was spreading all through her body.  
  
Xander and Cordy ran out the door, knowing that they could be running to their deaths,   
but caring too much for their friend to not do it. They were met with the prone form of   
Willow and two massacred demons. A longhaired blond girl was kneeling over Willow.   
They stopped dead in their tracks. They had a deeply ingrained sense to keep veil of   
secrecy about their nightly adventures and the existence of demons in the world.   
  
Willow felt much better very suddenly, the pain subsiding. She rose helped by her   
mysterious savior.  
  
Xander and Cordelia saw Willow rise from the ground as they got closer. Xander felt   
shiver run up and down his spine. And Cordy gasped as she recognized the moves and   
hair of the girl.  
  
Willow lifted her eyes to look at her savior. And almost fainted on the spot again. Before   
her stood an impossibility. A girl long dead. A girl, who had returned from the dead once   
before as some kind of unnatural born again punisher of evil. A girl, who was standing   
before her and smiling.  
  
Xander couldn`t believe his eyes. This girl was almost godlike. He had seen her drown   
and revive only come back stronger and able to slay the Master. He had seen her   
second death in a meaningless fire, only to meet her again as a force of retribution   
returning to slay Spike. And now in the very moment he had expected Willow to be   
dead. She had returned again. Buffy simply wouldn`t stay dead.   
  
"Hi, Will", Buffy used her favorite nickname for her best friend and gave her a hug.   
  
Willow almost forgot to hug her back in surprise. Her friend`s body was warm and   
somehow she felt like something she had missed for a long time had returned to her.   
Suddenly Xander yelled in surprise: "Damn it Summers, don`t they teach you in dead   
school to not come back and haunt your friends".   
  
Buffy turned and saw a geeky boy turned to nice looking man. Besides him stood a   
slightly more subdued in dress quality if not person Cordelia. They were both older and   
had gained some of that strange confidence that surrounded grownups. She looked at   
Willow again. Her hair was short and a more carrot like red than she remembered.   
Willow seemed not only mature but also wise and cool in a strangely aloof way.  
  
Willow looked at the girl. She seemed not a day older than when she had died. Her hair   
was much longer reaching all the way down her back but otherwise it was the same   
Buffy. Only her eyes were really different. If eyes were mirror of the soul, the   
Messenger`s eyes had felt intensive, powerful, sad and angry all at once or at least that   
was what Angel, Xander and Giles had agreed upon. This girl eyes carried instead   
Buffy's good old sense of humor, fake innocence and very early maturity but   
somewhere along the way that had been combined a deep wisdom and sense of   
purpose. There was power and confidence in there, more than in her Slayer days in   
fact. Willow`s hyperactive mind went into overdrive. "How is it possible? Is the   
Messenger needed more than once?", she blurted.   
  
Buffy smiled her trademark crooked smile and looked at the girl. Xander and Cordelia   
also stood in clear attention awaiting her explanation. Buffy took a deep breath.  
  
"I am not the Messenger anymore. It`s not a time limited mission this time, quite the   
opposite actually. I was sent to Earth because of several things. The forces of good   
decided that it was time for them to have more than just two warriors of good on the   
world. And they wanted to send someone, who had experience as a Slayer, but hadn`t   
been meant to die so early. Wendy didn`t want the job, so I choose to do this instead",   
she explained.  
  
"So you`ve gotten a new lease on life. Man Buff, I want your lawyer, when I get to   
heaven", Xander quipped.   
  
"Not like that. It`s not a new life. I had to give up my human existence and life in that   
fire. No, I am what you in biblical terms would call a Warrior Angel. I think I like the term   
Seraph the best. Even if they destroy this body I would have to return to fight on Earth   
again and again. I am here to protect and guide humanity. And I`ll continue to do so   
until the day the forces of evil are banned from this world forever", she said and walked   
out of the alley towards Willow`s car.   
  
"And you just happened to be here doing you mission fighting evil", Cordelia asked   
pointedly.   
  
"No, I have been trying to track you down for days. I finally got wind of you, when I was   
torturing one of those blue things that infest this town. He told me, whom they thought   
you`d run to. But also that you would be too late, because they have kidnapped   
Whistler, he knows too much. Someone is pissing off the Powers That Be very much   
right now", Buffy explained.  
  
"Yeah, we guessed as much. They also tried to kill Angel and his demonic seer Doyle.   
But we have no idea, what`s going on and they have harried us too much for us to have   
a chance finding out", Willow explained and leaned against her car.  
  
"How come it`s always worlds hanging in the balance, when we meet", Xander quipped   
and smiled at Buffy. He always handled surprises with dark humor.   
  
"So what`s up?", Buffy asked and sat on the hood of the car. 


	7. Understanding

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 7: Understanding  
  
  
Doyle was mostly aware of the pain in his head. The blue monsters had hit him with   
their large bone clubs and almost killed him in their initial rush at the house entrance.   
However Willow`s wiccan magic and the inborn sense of paranoia possesed by anyone   
from Sunnydale had proven a great blessing. Her spell had stopped them from coming   
in through the basement, and Angel had been able to rescue his misunderstood friend.   
The demons had not gone away though and at that moment were patrolling the outside   
and the sewers, spoiling for a fight and looking for a way in.   
  
The worst part was that they had no idea, who had sent the demons. Angel had gotten   
through to Willow at the university and they should be out at that moment looking for   
their enemy and some kind of support.   
  
Angel sat down besides the half-demon, which lay in the office of the newly opened   
Angel Investigations.   
  
"If we don`t find a way to get rid of those demons soon, we`ll be in trouble. They`re   
attacking the sewer barrier and it`s only a matter of time, before they wear down the   
energies of the spell. And they are also watching us from the alley across the street. I   
counted at least three demons the last time I looked", Angel explained in a brisk voice.   
  
"Maybe the kids have gotten to Whistler now, and are on the way over here with the   
cavalry", Doyle suggested, eventhough he knew that Whistler almost never got directly   
involved in fighting.   
  
They sat in the dark office for a few minutes. "Maybe we should try to make a break for   
it anyway", Doyle suggested.   
  
Angel thought it over and then nodded in agreement. "I´ll check out the alley again", he   
said and walked over to the window and peered outthrough the blinds.   
  
He stared into the deep darkness and saw the three demons still standing there intent   
on killing him and Doyle the second they were able to. Suddenly he saw movement in   
the alley. Someone stepped out behind them. A strong red flash blinded him. When the   
spots cleared he saw no demons and Willow walking out of the alley wearing a great   
smile and waving at Xander and Cordelia, who were parking the car outside the door   
like the siege had never happened.   
  
"What`s going on. Have they lost their minds? There could be more demons out there   
and there is still a lot of them in the sewers", Angel cursed and turned to Doyle.   
Suddenly there was the sound of screaming and the crackle of lightning downstair.   
"No time to worry about that. It sounds like they`re making the final push for the sewer   
entrance", Doyle said and unsteadily got to his feet.   
  
"Should we flee?", he asked his vampiric friend. "No we have a chance now even if it`s   
a small one. We have all our resources here, we should try to stop them", Angel said   
and ran towards the basement access. Doyle reluctantly followed.  
  
Meanwhile Willow, Xander and Cordy walked up to the barricaded frontdoor.  
  
Angel and Doyle stood in the pitchblack room, before the access hatch to the sewers.   
The noise from below was ghastly. "That`s sounds like they`re almost through", Angel   
commented and grapped the axe handle harder. Slowly things fell silent. Something   
was climbing the ladder up to the hatch.   
  
"Here they come", Doyle said and stared into dark room. The demons had cut the power   
lines a couple of hours ago.   
  
Something pushed at the blockaded hatch. Angel had put a cupboard on top of it. There   
was silence for a moment. Suddenly there was a great crash and the cupboard flew off.   
The hatch had been smashed to bits. They got ready to fight for their lives.  
  
Xander tinkered with the fusebox outside the house, while Willow and Cordy finally got   
the door opened and rushed inside.  
  
A small figure rose into the dark room. Doyle and Angel both felt a strange feeling of   
apprehension, a gut feeling that something very very dangerous was standing right   
before them. Angel needed no more incitement and charged the creature, growling and   
wearing his vampiric visage.   
  
Xander got the power back on and the lights came on all over the house.  
  
Willow and Cordelia burst into the cellar and screamed for Angel to stop his deadly   
charge upon the recently returned Buffy.  
  
Doyle collapsed in pain as another unbidden vision overwhelmed him.  
  
Angel bore down on the small figure and to late saw in the new light that this wasn`t a   
blueskinned demon, but instead a very human looking blond girl. His axe dove towards   
her unguarded neck.  
  
Buffy sensed the danger, dropped down onto her hands, crouched forward and kicked   
both her feet up and back into the chest of her presumed attacker.   
  
Angel landed hard on his back. The axe landed harmlessly besides his prone form.  
  
The group sat around the kitchen table. Angel was nursing a serious bruise in his chest,   
Doyle was trying to drown his migraine in a bottle of bourbon and all the while everyone   
was confused over the return of a friend yet happy for the same event.   
  
"So what happened to those demons in the sewers", Xander asked and looked at the   
blond girl.  
  
"Those morons were actually trying to tear through Willow`s spell by physical pressure.   
Most were in a very damaged state. I made quick work of them by using a lead pipe as   
a club. Their heads weren`t really hard enough to handle that", she explained.  
  
Angel had been strangely subdued after he had discovered the true identity of his   
attacker. He seemed to be in a state of shock. Finally after maintaining an hour long   
silence he asked: "Are you staying this time?".  
  
Buffy looked at the unhappy man. It was actually disturbing her to be around him. All her   
senses and instincts screamed for her to reach out and snuff the demon sitting only   
meters from her, but her heart loved him and cried out for her to go to him and   
apolegize for her mistake, for her death, and it still against all reason held out hope for   
them to find happiness. But Buffy`s mind knew that it could never be. Now more than   
ever. She had chosen to become a warrior of the good forces in the universe and it   
could never be. Wisdom acquired in quiet comtemplation asserted itself and reason   
prevailed. With a friendly smile she replied: "Yes, this time I am around for good".  
  
Doyle, who was constantly staring at the blond girl finally managed to say. "We need   
your help. I saw you in my vision and I also saw a few hints of our enemy. I saw a   
name: Wolfram and Hart and the name of three people: Ripper, Janna and Joyce. I am   
drawing a blank with those though", he explained.   
  
"Giles", Willow said and looked to Buffy.  
  
"And my mother", she acknowledged bitterly.  
  
"Then who is this Janna. The name sounds Romani", Angel asked.  
  
"It is. It`s Jenny`s old name before she changed it. She told me, when we were learning   
the Art", Willow explained. "What`s up with them?", she thought and looked towards the   
half-demon and Angel, who both seemed constantly stare at Buffy with a mixture of both   
fear and bewilderment in their eyes. She decided to question them about it later, when   
Buffy wasn`t around.   
  
Doyle looked at Willow for a second and blinked before he explained in his accented   
english: "They were standing before some humans and a lot of demons. Someone was   
chanting a prayer to the dark gods. Offering them as sacrifice. I don`t know where they   
were though".  
  
"Where does my mother live now?", Buffy got up and walked around the kitchen.  
  
"Well the last I heard she had moved back here. The gallery was sold for a rather large   
sum and she opened a new one here. We talk on the phone from time to time, but I   
think the only one she regularly was in contact with was Giles. I have her address   
though", Willow explained.  
  
"That`s the first place we look", Buffy said and waved for Willow to follow her. "You guys   
try to find out, what happened to Giles and Jenny and be careful", she added as she   
went out the door. Like it was the most natural things to do everyone immediately   
followed her orders. Xander, Cordelia, Doyle and Angel drove out into the suburbs   
towards the home of the Giles family.  
  
"Isn`t it strange to be back?", Willow asked and looked at Buffy.  
  
Buffy smiled at her girlfriend, who was driving a very nice car with a cell phone lying on   
the dashboard and a spellbook in the glove compartment. "Very. I haven`t aged   
physically since then. And I was gone for such a long time. I missed so much. And I   
haven`t come back to get my old life back. Buffy Summers died. The most I can get   
from this is an existence with my friends and the destruction of the forces of evil", she   
explained.  
  
"That sounds kind of sad", Willow commented.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It is my choice though. I have a second chance to at least experience the   
world and life even if it`s not the life I was originally destined to. Oh, well destinies   
change", Buffy looked at the world as it passed outside the car window.  
  
"You seem a little more aggressive in combat than you used to", Willow blurted as her   
thoughts moved quicker than her sense of tact.  
  
Buffy nodded solemnly. "I was brought back in a warrior`s body. Everything in my   
physical body has been made for fighting. You must understand that this body is really   
not made for playing nice. It`s made for war and so unfortunately even if I have a much   
more calm and balanced outlook on life now, when I get in a fight with demons I react   
with unmigitated violence. So yeah I am a little on the very very aggressive side of   
fighting, but it even feels right to be like that now. I work for the good guys now, but they   
understand that to win a battle one must rely on the force of violence. Peace and loving   
might be the antithesis of the dark forces, but it won`t kill them. I had to accept to never   
achieve peace or the eternal joy or whatever comes after death. I accepted a position   
as a warrior and so I carry some eternal darkness in me as well. A warrior kills. I   
understand this and accept it".   
  
Buffy looked away into the night, while Willow finally understood that while her friend   
had returned, she had come back without the doubts and insecurities that had plaqued   
Buffy. She had gained insight into realms open only to the blessed and the dead. She   
had become a barrier between the light and the dark. Buffy was back, but not as Buffy   
not as the Slayer. No, she had returned to be the protector and guide of mankind   
towards whatever the forces of good planned for this world.  
  
The car drove up in front of the gallery building. Buffy`s mother lived in a flat above it.   
The two girls walked up to the metal stairwell. However it was clear that they were to   
late. The heavy metal door, which constituted the frontdoor of the Summers residence   
was hammered in and lay on the wooden floor.   
  
Soundlessly Buffy glided into the darkness. Her eyes easily adjusted to the darkness   
and allowed her sight like it was in the full light of day. "Stay here, while I look this place   
over for a second or two", she whispered and disappeared into the darkened apartment.  
  
Moments later the two girls were seated on the couch in the living room. On a wall there   
were a poster size picture of Buffy sitting on the lawn before the house in Sunnydale. It   
had been taken just weeks before her death. Willow looked over Buffy. Her hair was   
hanging free except two long braids which contained her fringe and kept the hair out of   
her face. This combined with the heavy leather jacket and baggy jeans gave her a wild   
look like she was used to living in the wilderness or the hardest urban enviroment.   
  
"You seem very calm", Willow said and looked over the room once more. It was very   
clear that someone had kidnapped Buffy`s mother.   
  
"Getting all worked up now, will only get in the way of my revenge. Whoever did this is   
going to their grave fast", Buffy explained and smiled a feral smile, which Willow had   
only seen before when a stupid vampire had been cornered without a chance of   
survival.  
  
"Let`s head out. We`ll have to find us a few demons to torture for information", Buffy   
explained and Willow believed her.  
  
It was almost morning, when Willow and Buffy got back to the house. They weren`t   
greeted by happy faces. Somehow Angel had gotten a large gash above his right eye   
and Xander was lying down on the couch nursing a bruised arm.  
  
"What happened?", Willow asked and looked despairingly at Xander.  
  
"We were to late to save them Will. They must have decided to come home early, the   
hood of their car was still warm, when we got there. But someone had already gotten   
them. The house was a mess and there were some blood traces as well according to   
Angel. But they had left us a welcoming party. Two of those blue demons. If Giles   
hadn`t kept such a large weapon collection, we would have been goners instead of just   
beaten up", Xander explained and looked at the blond girl standing in the doorframe.   
  
Buffy saw his look and said: "They have my mother as well. But we got a clue. I was   
able to torture some information out of one of those critters again. They have Whistler at   
a safehouse down by something called pier 39. They can`t kill him yet, they need some   
information from him first".  
  
"Tortured?", Xander asked and looked to Willow.  
  
Willow shuddered at the memory of Buffy ramming her hand into the demon`s guts and   
fiddling around with the stuff in there. "Don`t ask", she replied.  
  
Buffy walked over to Xander and knelt besides him.  
  
"I am going to do something. Please don`t move", she asked him and grabbed hold of   
the arm.   
  
Xander was about to yell in pain suddenly it subsided. A pleasant warmth spread   
through him. The pain disappeared. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a white light   
glow around Buffy like a thin aura. His bruise had disappeared.   
  
"Cool", Cordelia and Willow chorused.   
  
"Healing hands?", Angel asked.  
  
"Not really", Buffy stated and rolled up the sleeve of her t-shirt. A small bruise was   
visible on the exact spot where Xander`s had been centered. It was disappearing fast.   
  
"I take the pain and damage into me. My body heals very fast. And pain never lasts",   
she explained and smiled at the suddenly astonished look on Willow`s face.   
  
"You healed me as well. Bach in the alley after the demons punched me in my   
stomach", Willow said in amazement.   
  
"You were bleeding internally. If I hadn`t done it, you would have been in the intersive   
care ward at the hospital fighting for your life right now", Buffy explained.  
  
"Then why don`t you heal Angel then we can try and find that weird demon guy",   
Cordelia asked and gestured towards Angel.   
  
"I couldn`t. His current demonic body would be burned to cinders not healed if I unleash   
those powers on him", Buffy explained and looked to Angel.   
  
Suddenly he understood the friendly but non-sexual tone he got from Buffy. Before her   
death they had barely been able to avoid kissing all the time, but now she could only be   
his friend. He understood now for the first time that any relationship with Buffy was not   
only doomed to fail but also would have been bad for her and her development as a   
normal human woman. His love and lust for her had been wrong and egotistical. He was   
centuries older than her. He should have kept it professional. He had used her, even if   
she had been very very willing. Now it finally dawned on him. And he was one step   
closer to his true destiny. 


	8. Enemy revealed

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 8: Enemy revealed  
  
  
Angel stayed behind with Cordelia, while the gang went to free his former mentor. He   
stared out the window looking at Willow`s car, as it disappeared around a corner.  
  
"Are you okay?", the unusually emotional voice of Cordelia Chase asked him from   
behind, while back away from the light of day coming up outside his windows.  
  
"I don`t know. How is everybody else taking it?", Angel tried to avoid answering right at   
that moment.  
  
"I think we`re coping. It`s really typical of her to come back just like that. We were all   
getting better and getting a normal… Well all right an almost normal… Okay so we   
didn`t really change, but she came back and stirred up old feelings. Xander was getting   
moody and Willow was isolating herself… Why doesn`t this come out negative for her!   
Why can`t I just dislike her like I used too!", Cordelia hit the table in anger.   
  
Angel smiled and turned to face her. "Because your dislike of Buffy was never really   
justified".  
  
Cordelia stared at the vampire. She was speechless. Unexpectedly reason found it`s   
way through to her not stupid but well hidden brain and sudden realization struck her. "I   
was jealous, but I had nothing to be jealous about. I hated her for nothing. I could have   
had a friend instead of this weird bickering relationship I had with her. With everyone",   
Cordelia looked into the mirror of her mind and found that she had wasted years and   
years hurting people she should have been nice to. But she was Cordelia Chase, so not   
a single tear escaped her.  
  
Angel understood that somehow a penny had dropped in the woman`s mind. Now she   
was finally growing up and beginning to become a person without people prepping up   
her selfesteem.  
  
"You are not distracting me that easily. How about you? What happens between you   
two now?", Cordy asked again.   
  
"There can be no us. Buffy knows this now. I think we shouldn`t underestimate either   
that she serves as a warrior now for the greater powers of the universe. I can`t be with   
her. Nor should I have been before she died. I know this now. I have a different purpose   
and Doyle will help me get there", he explained and sighed again. Stray sunlight was   
slowly making staying the room painful to stay in. "I`ll go get some sleep. I think   
Willow`s new spells will keep the demons out for now, but don`t go outside", he said and   
head for the elevator to the basement.  
  
"Good… day", Cordelia said and yawned. She had been up for over 24 hours.  
  
The car stood in a shadowy alley across the street from a very shabby warehouse   
building. The occupants were standing besides it.   
  
"So we charge in and fight the best we can", Xander suggested.   
  
"No. I think we need to use smarts instead of brute force here. You guys couldn`t stop   
those blue creeps in a fist fight, so I think recon first and then we make them dead",   
Buffy explained.   
  
Everybody nodded their heads in agreement and watched as Buffy casually walked   
across the street and disappeared into an alley several warehouses over from their   
target.  
  
"I still don`t quite get it", Xander said.  
  
"I know, but it`s really her. She`s more powerful and somehow a lot more wise than   
before, but it`s her. At least it seems so. Oh, I wish Giles were here. He would know for   
sure", Willow looked towards the corner around which her resurrected friend had   
disappeared.  
  
Xander looked at Willow. It was like seeing and understanding a sudden renaissance.   
She was unconciously smiling, her eyes sparkled with happiness usually reserved for   
Oz and she seemed alive in a way he nearly couldn`t remember anymore. He was   
probably exactly like her. It was like an amputed arm suddenly regrowing.  
  
Buffy felt a wild joy inside as she jumped across the alley separating her from her target.   
She felt alive. With catlike agility she landed on silently on the warehouse roof. She   
peered down the overhead window into the huge open room below. They were lucky for   
once. She could see 2 blue demons guarding the front door and a bald man torturing   
Whistler with whitehot silver pokers. Whistler was chained with what looked like old   
rusty iron chains.  
  
"He should be able to break those easily", she thought, when sudden a blue glow   
emanated from the floor in a pentagram shape surrounded by a circle as the man stuck   
another poker in the human looking demon. He was caught in a demon prison.   
  
Instead of charging in like she would have 2 years ago, Buffy chose the safe path. She   
found several other viewpoints and discovered that there wasn`t just two blue demons,   
but four and probably one or two more hidden in the sewers. Quietly she stalked away   
and jumped into the dark alley.  
  
"So what`s up?", Xander asked the newly returned Buffy.   
  
"Whistler is inside getting tortured by some guy. There`s four guards in the warehouse   
and probably one or two more in the sewers. My plan is simple. I go in through the   
sewers and kill the two demons as loudly as possible. The other demons either try to   
attack or flee with their prisoner. You are containment. You must keep the demons   
inside. I`ll be able to handle everything as long as I am able to pick them off at my pace   
and at my time. Questions?", Buffy looked around, but no one spoke.   
  
Minutes later.  
  
Whistler felt like he had hung from that damned roof for ages. He hadn`t experienced   
pain like this for thousands of years and he saw everything through a haze of red pain.   
Suddenly he heard demonic howling. His captors had posted a hellhound in the sewer   
to act as an early warning system. Angel and his gang were probably on the way to get   
killed. The howling stopped rather suddenly.   
  
Whistler craned his neck and stared at the open manhole. A wet splat resounded   
through the entire room as the torn off head of a hellhound landed on warehouse floor.   
Predicable as always the Krieger demons dashed towards the threat and jumped one at   
a time into the manhole. Whistler had a weird feeling of dread while looking into those   
depths. A feeling like he knew something which wanted everyone here dead was about   
to rise from there real soon now. It wasn`t a feeling he was very familiar with being a   
mighty demon and all. Suddenly white hot pain shot through his body once more.  
  
"Ah ah ah", his torturer admonished him and rummaged around in the deep wound with   
the burning poker. It was a vampire, which lived to torture. It was frightfully efficient.   
"They`ll be able to handle that petty attack down there just fine", he said. Whistler didn`t   
listen. He could hear the roar of a car engine.  
  
Willow`s car crashed through the thin door and came to a screeching halt.   
  
The vampire roared and tried to charge the unwelcome visitors. Whistler heard the   
thankful sound of a crossbow firing and the blissful sound of dust falling to the ground   
behind him. The demonic prison flickered out of existence and he was finally able to   
exert his own powers. Wounds disappeared, aches were dulled and he turned to face   
his rescuer.  
  
Suddenly a blue skinned demon scrambled out of the manhole screaming with terror. It   
didn`t get it`s feet out in time. Something grabbed it from below and drew it into the   
darkness. Whistler watched in puzzlement and maybe a little fear as he heard the   
scream turn to panicked pleas for mercy then fell silent after a deep frightful crack. He   
felt a déjà vu as a longhaired blond girl rose out of the manhole like a vampire from a   
grave. Only with all his senses focused on her, was he able to pierce the strong   
concealment surrounding the girl and he beheld the immensity of the thing within.   
Whistler shallowed down a huge lump of fear. All standing between him and extinction   
now, was his glib tonque and ageold contracts, which had been broken many many   
times by his own people.  
  
"A Seraph", he whispered and cautiously stepped closer.   
  
"Whistler", Buffy greeted the helpful demon. "Don`t worry I am not here on the Final   
Days kind of business… Not yet anyway".  
  
"Are you alright man?", Doyle asked in his accented english.   
  
"As if you care", Whistler said and pretended to dust of his clothing.  
  
"What are you doing here?", Whistler demanded of the girl in a sharper tone of voice   
than intended.   
  
The instincts in her to decapitate the offending worm with a holy sword or just simply   
render it limb from limb were easily quelled and Buffy replied in her cheeriest voice:   
"Proactively defending humanity".  
  
"You call that defensive", Whistler whispered and shook his head. He was very certain,   
he didn`t want to go into the sewers around here right now.  
  
"Listen Whistler, we don`t have time here to discuss interdimensional politics right now.   
Someone is messing around again and I bet you know a lot about it", Buffy hinted as   
they walked towards Willow less than new looking car.   
  
Whistler was about to say something, when Buffy suddenly asked Willow: "Say Will,   
why didn`t you just open the doors instead of crashing through them? I know it looks   
cool on TV, but look at your car it`s all banged up".  
  
Willow whined a little and looked at Xander, who suddenly seemed obsessed with the   
warehouse roof. It had been his idea.  
  
The car was on the road and gunning for the home and base of this demon slaying   
gang.   
  
"I don`t know exactly what is going on, but I know who is behind this. It`s an unholy   
alliance. Drusilla, Spike`s cracy girlfriend has hired Wolfram and Hart with a huge wad   
of money to make you all dead or at least distracted, while she tries to bring back Spike   
from the dead", he explained.  
  
"What did they want you for?", Xander asked.  
  
"I stole parts of the spell from a spellbook recently. The spellbook they want to use.   
She`s really crazy you know. She can`t recreate Spike from his few remaining parts,   
because there aren`t any, so the only way to get him back is to open the way for the   
demons of Hell. If she manages to open the right dimensional gate, she would bring   
Spike`s demon as well as the first few million others across right here in the middle of   
Los Angeles. And the bad news is she can do it without the part of the spells, she`s   
missing. But without it, chances are great that she`ll open a way to some random   
demon dimension instead. Which brings forth the final wars, which I so seriously hope   
to avoid", Whistler looked at Buffy, who seemed far away.   
  
"This world must not fall. We will not allow it", Buffy said, but her voice as if spoken from   
the mouth of a thousand others.  
  
"What the hell was that?", Xander asked as Whistler fainted in the back of the car.  
  
Whistler was out for only a few seconds. "Are you alright?", the redhead asked.  
  
"I`ll be alright in a few minutes, if the damned Powers of Light could refrain from trying to   
blow my brains out of my cranium", he explained.  
  
"I am sorry. I became angry, when you said that and my allies responds to my feelings",   
Buffy explained, "I`ll be more careful in the future". She at least had the decency to look   
sorry.  
  
And Whistler understood that, he was sitting besides the other side`s equivalent to an   
early warning system. When she went off, the Others would follow and the final war for   
this dimension would be decided. He hoped he wasn`t part of the demonic forces   
anymore at that point. He was building up a more than solid respect of the up until   
recently almost nonexisting forces of light. They were not cowards, weak, stupid or aloof   
like the other demons always said. No, they were smarter, wiser and most probably   
preparing or ready to win a war most of his people thought they would win by default.   
Well if his ideas were correct, then their sides were really less than equal, but not to   
their advantage.  
  
The car pulled up besides the home base.  
  
"So now what?", Doyle asked and looked around at the gathering as they sat down in   
Willow`s living room.  
  
"I think that I can find out, where Dru is, when the night comes. Doyle, Whistler. You two   
are very well connected, couldn`t you shake all the trees for information and watch out   
for any demons that fall out of them. The rest of you should rest and recuperate. We`ll   
need to be in good form for the next few days", Angel said. They had woken him up   
after they had returned with Whistler.  
  
Everybody nodded in agreement. And they spread all over the building to find some   
peace and quiet.   
  
Buffy stayed with Willow. "Can I crash here? I have nowhere to go", Buffy asked and   
failed miserably at not sounding like she was pleading.  
  
Willow smiled warmly and hugged Buffy. "I have this entire floor to myself over half of it   
is empty. If you want to, you can move in", she suggested eagerly.  
  
"I-I I don`t know Will. It might be painful for you all esspecially Angel having me   
around…", Buffy smiled sadly at her friend. 


	9. The Dawn

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Chapter 9: The Dawn  
  
  
Buffy looked around in the empty room, then closed her eyes again and focused on her   
other senses. Outside the window the last rays of sunshine cast an orange red glare   
across the sky. Her senses picked it up in an instant. The spell was being prepared. The   
time was almost at hand. They had to hurry.   
  
There was a cautious knock on the door. Willow peeked inside.  
  
Buffy sat on the floor in a position reminiscent of the relaxed position Buddhist monks   
place themselves in when they want to meditate. Her eyes was closed again in what   
seemed to be some deep state of meditation.  
  
"Uhm, I am sorry to disturb you, but Doyle has gotten some information of some local   
demons. We are all getting together in the kitchen", Willow whispered not wanting to   
shock Buffy.  
  
Buffy jumped to her feet and smiled warmly to her friend. "I wasn`t disturbed. I have   
been sensing the building of the spell for almost an hour now. I think we only have a few   
hours left before things go to hell". She threw her leather jacket back on.  
  
For a moment Willow regarded her friend. The red sunlight illuminated the room. Then   
she asked a question: "Whistler has been telling me and Angel a few things for the last   
hour or so. He is really afraid of you. He says that you`re just as dangerous to us as the   
demons are. That we`re better off not trusting you, because your backers might want to   
provoke the apocalypse so that they can force a final decision on who owns this   
dimension them or the Powers That Be. I have to ask this, Buffy? Why are you here?   
What do you and your backers want? Who are you?". The last words were a plea.  
  
Buffy seemed to seethe in anger so a second then she looked at the redhead with a sad   
smile and spoke: "I am here to protect and guide humanity. And that esspecially means   
you guys. I am here to prevent the Apocalypse. And while I don`t deny that I   
singlehandedly could choose to set it off, it is not no matter what the demonic Powers   
That Be think, our plan to set of the Apocalypse. Ever. This world needs to exist in a   
balance of power. In a dimension where only one force exists there can be no growth,   
no evolution. Now if the demons invade then yes I`ll instigate the Apocalypse, but not to   
take over the planet, but to protect this place from becoming owned by evil, chaos,   
entropy and decay. I love people way too much to allow that to happen. As for what I   
am. I`ll show you even if you will not be able to describe me exactly. I had to become   
more than human to return. So I did".   
  
Willow precieved that Buffy had chosen this life out of love, love to herself, love to life,   
love to Angel, love to all her friends and family and even love to this world.  
  
"See me", Buffy said and showed the girl her true form, which recided in the place   
bathed in light and which could not fit into a mere human body anymore. And Willow   
Rosenberg cried tears, for her fear of betrayal was washed away. Buffy was an   
immortal being now. No matter how dark the world would be Willow`s soul would always   
be comforted by the memory of the sight of her girlfriend`s good and eternal soul   
manifested before her. Willow knew then and there that Whistler had spoken out of   
ignorance and fear. Buffy would be there to help them as long as their bodies lived on   
and if possible even beyond that.  
  
"Let`s go downstairs", Buffy said and gave her favorite redhead a warm hug.  
  
The entire group had collected in the kitchen. All eyes turned on Doyle.   
  
After fidgeting for a moment he drew a deep breath and began to explain: "I called in a   
lot of favors for this. But I got an address and some bad news". He paused and looked   
around at the collection of beings seating around the kitchen table. There were a   
halfdemon, a good demon in humanshape, two almost ordinary humans, a genius witch,   
a vampire with a soul and a being, which could only be defined as an angel in the form   
of a Slayer already thrice dead. Doyle continued his story: "They are holed up in a   
fortress like building on the outskirts of the worst part of LA. This Drucilla woman has   
really been spending cash. She has vampires, Krieger demons and even a demon lord   
guarding her".   
  
"Wow, that is bad news", Xander commented and leaned back in contemplation.   
  
"No, man. The bad news is that for the spell to be finished they are sacrificing their   
hostages", Doyle explained with his thick irish accent and got up to get another cup of   
coffee.   
  
"I figured as much", Buffy said and went towards the door. "We have to go now. They`re   
have already begun the preparations", she said and left.   
  
"She doesn't waste time huh?", Doyle said and gulped the warm coffee down.   
  
"Nope, but she's right. We have to go immediately", Angel grabbed a bag full of   
weapons and followed his former lover out the door. The rest of the gang followed his   
example. That left Doyle and Whistler alone in the kitchen.  
  
"Are we going to help them?", Doyle asked his superior.   
  
Whistler shrugged and made no motion to follow the humans. "I have to remain neutral   
in this. I can't fight along side an Angel. You're free to do what you like. You're obliged   
to be Angel's seer, not to fight with him", Whistler explained and went to pour himself a   
stiff whisky. "Do you want one?", he asked and saw that he was alone. "How heroic of   
you Doyle", he mused and sat down with the sports section trying to determine, if his   
bets had been right this week.  
  
Xander looked over the long stretch of low cut grass between the electric fence and the   
gray concrete architectural mistake, which it surrounded. "I don't think we can get all the   
way overthere without alarming anyone", he said and looked at the dense patrol pattern   
of groups of vampires inside the fence.   
  
"At least they're not using Krieger demons in the patrols. That's a small comfort", Doyle   
said and looked around at the gang. They were hiding behind a wall, which had once   
been part of a warehouse.   
  
"I have an idea", Willow began paging through her spellbook. "Here", Willow whispered   
and looked up. "I can make a glamour, which will hide us from any vampire, but there is   
one drawback. I can't both cast the spell and be a part of it", she explained.   
  
"We need you inside", Buffy insisted and Angel nodded in agreement. "I'll cast the spell.   
You sneak inside and then I follow you. I'll draw their attack, while you go free the   
hostages", Buffy suggested.  
  
"Can you cast spells as well?", Willow looked astounded.   
  
"Yes", Buffy said with a confident smile, while a voice in her mind told her, how to go   
about casting the spell. She was never alone, if she needed help.  
  
"Okay, it's not a lot of a plan, but it'll have to do", Angel said and began distributing   
weapons.   
  
"Show me the spell", Buffy asked and looked into the book Willow held out before her.  
  
A few moments later. "They can't see us", Xander whispered as they traversed the   
grass field and walked up to the locked steel door. "Now what?", he asked.  
  
Doyle stepped up and drew out a lock picking kit. At the questioning glances all around   
him he answered: "A result of a youth misspent". The door opened and they slipped   
inside.   
  
They had gone inside. Buffy grabbed the heavy broadsword taken from Angel's weapon   
collection and walked casually towards the fence. She knew this battle would be hard.   
  
They heard the battle far away as they sneaked deeper into the building. Suddenly   
there were heavy creatures running towards them. They hid in a storeroom and saw   
Krieger demons lead by a huge demon lord run towards the noise and Buffy.   
  
"No one could handle such a group. Not even Buffy", Cordelia whispered and looked   
around to the rest of the crestfallen infiltrators.  
  
"We don't know that. The new Buffy might. Besides we can't help her now. We must   
stop Drucilla, before she finishes her cracy plan", Willow said and left. They followed   
her.  
  
"It's in there", Xander said and pointed towards a set of huge doors guarded by two   
vampires with rifles.   
  
"Let me handle them", Willow demanded and began to chant a spell.   
  
A woman stepped into the corridor. As ordered by their queen the two vampires leveled   
their automatic rifles to fire. But Willow cried out the final words of the spell and all that   
was left of them and the doors was charred dust falling to the floor. A thunderous boom   
shook the building as her fireball echoed in the large room behind the doors.  
  
They charged in. Suddenly vampires sprang from their hiding places and attacked on all   
sides. Willow was struck down and Angel had a stake placed over his heart. "Surrender   
my petssss", a dark haired vampire chanted as she stepped out from the shadows.   
  
"I knew you would come too see my darling return to me. We'll party, while this world   
burns and the moon cries out in pain", Drucilla said in her usual sing song voice and   
watched as her henchmen tied up the Scooby Gang and their two demonic friends.   
  
"You'll suffer for your killing of my dear. Oh, yes", she said and danced around. Lights   
where turned on, revealing a large intricate design etched into the concrete floor and the   
3 unconcious sacrifices around which the spell was centered. In the middle of the   
symbol a single vampire pale and gaunt stood and chanted with religious fervor. They   
all recognized a demonic replacement of their friend Amy in midst of setting of the end   
of the world. They had feared that she had been turned into a vampire back at   
graduation, now they knew for sure.  
  
"Dru, stop this. You don't know…Arrghh", she jammed Angel's battleaxe into his chest.   
  
"Shh, bad bad daddy. I'll spank you later for the interruption", she said and danced   
around in the room once more. A human stepped up besides the captured group.   
  
"I hope that you're satisfied with the services of our company", he said to the insane   
vampire dancing.   
  
But before Dru could answer the doors were opened again and the demon lord stepped   
inside. He was badly beaten and had several deep and bleeding cuts. He was carrying   
a small female form. Buffy was clearly dead, her body looked like it had been beaten   
and broken repeatedly.   
  
"No!!!", the Scooby gang and Angel cried out in unison. Their last hope defeated.  
  
"This one tried to come in. I had to sacrifice all your vampires and my warriors, before I   
could kill her", the big wounded demon explained and threw Buffy's body before Dru.  
  
Angel screamed in rage and impotence as he teared at the ropes binding him, his   
demon readily apparent.   
  
"Shh, quiet down Daddy. You'll all dance with me or her before this day is over, because   
I seem to be needing some new pets now", Dru said and looked upon the spellcaster in   
the symbol. The sacrifice would be performed soon.  
  
The chanting began to reach a crescendo and the symbol in the floor started to smoke   
and faint screams were audible. However the gang was beyond caring as they watched   
Dru walk towards the first sacrifice. Buffy's mother. She held a vicious hooked knife in   
her hands and drew herself high.  
  
Suddenly a sword flew through the room and struck Drucilla in her arms.  
  
Buffy stood alone in the middle of the room. Light was shining from her wounds.   
  
"Buffy!", Willow screamed in alarm as the demon lord approached from behind her with   
a huge two handed scimitar in his hands.  
  
Buffy ignored the danger and threw a knife at Willow. It sheared through her ropes and   
cut right into the central knot binding Angel. They were both free, just as Doyle chose to   
reveal his half-demon side and tear free. Yet Willow didn't move. She watched in horror   
as the demon lord sheared off Buffy's head in one clean stroke. White hot anger shot   
through her and a craving for revenge filled her being. A spell sprang into her memory   
and Willow quickly chanted it as Angel hacked into the vampire throng with his battleaxe   
in what seemed to be berserker rage, while Xander followed him to keep enemies of his   
back. Willow didn't notice Doyle and Cordelia struggle to do the same for her. Willow   
didn't care. She flung her life into the spell, but as the demon lord turned to face her   
onslaught, he seemed too uncaring too selfconfident. Time seemed to stand still. Willow   
struggled with the immense energies collected within her. Finally she flung out the   
magic aiming at the right arm of the demon lord. The huge ball of whitehot plasma flew   
towards him in what seemed to be eternity.  
  
But he easily sidestepped the spell and looked triumphantly down upon the little witch.  
  
And Willow smiled back as the spell atomized the vampire version of Amy before the   
spell to end the world could be finished. The demon lord sensed his failure and saw the   
glow of the unholy runes on the ground die and become inert. He turned to kill the   
offending witch.  
  
There was an explosion of light. The room held no shadows and an unearthly song filled   
the room. The demon lord screamed in surprise. He felt a presence in the room, a   
presence dwarfing even the one of his Lord and maybe even that of his gods. He turned   
and saw her. The body still lay without life and a head, but above the body a different   
thing had manifested. "Demonic Lords have no place on this world until the final days.   
You are a treaty breaker and I have been sent to ensure that you mistake doesn't   
endanger this universe", suddenly a beautiful long sword appeared in the winged beings   
hands, and he realized that he would now go away forever. No amount of magic or   
summons would be able to gather the shattered pieces of his soul. The Angel passed   
judgement upon him and struck him with lightning quickness. His life slipped from his   
fingers. And for him all became darkness.  
  
Willow stared in disbelief as Buffy's body and head disappeared and another identical   
but fully healed one appeared besides her resting place. Buffy hadn't lied, she was   
eternal now.   
  
Awed the display of power and the miracle of the girl's healing the remaining vampires   
fled for their lives. Angel fell to the floor crying, while Xander lay not far behind him,   
bleeding and hurt. Cordelia lay unconcious besides Doyle, who was nursing a broken   
arm. Willow stood unhurt yet drained of will and strength.   
  
Buffy blinked and became aware that she was no longer outside on the lawn. She had   
no clear recollection of her recent actions.  
  
Suddenly Drucilla appeared behind Willow and lifted her from the ground. "Let me go or   
the witch gets it", she threathened.  
  
Buffy walked calmly towards the wounded vampire. "I cannot allow you to hurt anybody   
anymore. You have done too much that requires punishment. Your soul demands   
cleansing", Buffy said.  
  
"Stop! Or I kill her", Drucilla threathened again and looked directly at the radiant girl   
standing only feets from her.   
  
Buffy moved as fast as she could. She easily moved into fighting range. In a blur she   
brought up her left fist and hammered it into the elbow of the arm with which she carried   
the gasping Willow. It shattered and Drucilla dropped the red-haired girl with a scream   
of pain. But Buffy didn't relent. She quickly grabbed Drucilla by her shoulders and held   
her up to face her. "Now your soul will find the rest it has sought for ages", Buffy   
whispered so that only her demon could hear. Smiling yet sorrowful her body began   
giving off the holy light within her. The demon screamed in agony and the dead body   
burst into orange flames. Only gray dust remained moments later.   
  
Buffy stopped and regarded the scene of hurt people and wounded vampires all around   
her. Without pause she visited all her friends and took their pain and wounds into   
herself. Staggering she passed by Doyle and Angel, whom she couldn't help and took   
up the still unconcious body of Jenni Calendar. Or was it Janna of the Calderash, she   
mused. Her face set in quiet contemplation, she drained the drugs and pain from Jenni.   
And walked slowly to her beloved teacher. "Awaken my teacher, my father", she   
whispered and took his broken bones and lifted the fog of the drugs from him. Finally   
she staggered over to her mother, while all around her her friends were getting on her   
feet. Smiling like she had found true happiness, Buffy sat besides her and took her   
mother's hands. Her wounds weren't deep or serious, but Buffy took them as well. And   
all turned dark for her. Even she had limits. 


	10. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I claim no right over the characters from BtVS portrayed in the piece of   
fiction. All rights of the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer is reserved by Mutant Enemy,   
Sandollar, Kuzui Enterprises and Fox. This piece of fiction is not to be reproduced   
anywhere or edited without the express consent of the author as named above.   
  
Warning: This piece of literature contains scenes with violence, strong language and   
religious references that may be considered offensive. Parental disgression should be   
applied.   
  
Epilogue:   
  
  
Rupert Giles rose from the cold ground. The last thing he remembered was the struggle   
against Krieger demons, a race of superstrong, tough and stupid to the point of   
animalism demons, usually employed by some one, who could feed their need for   
battle. "Jenni", his mind suddenly screeched and he bolted easily to his feet. His eyes   
was presented with a strange scene. He was standing in what seemed to be a Stygian   
summoning circle with no limitations and some kind of dimensional portal extensions he   
wasn't familiar with. To his left his wife was standing unharmed and looking as confused   
as he probably did. In the room all of his nearest friends and acquaintances stood   
looking ruffled up yet none the worse for wear. They were all carrying weapons of some   
kind. His wife looked over his shoulder and gasped in surprise. He quickly turned to see   
Joyce Summers waking up looking very confused. By her feet lay a small woman or   
young girl with an enormeous halo of golden blond hair splashed across the floor for   
several feet. The hair covered her face. He looked around for Willow, she would have   
some reasonable explanation ready for him.  
  
"What happened?", Joyce beat him to the question. "And who is this?"; she indicated   
the girl on the floor. Willow stepped up to answer.  
  
"You were kidnapped by Drucilla. She wanted to bring Spike back and get revenge over   
Buffy at the same time. She had it all worked out, but we managed to get her in the end.   
She's gone for good this time", Willow explained.  
  
Giles knew there was a lot more to it than that. He had not seen any corpses of Krieger   
demons, yet somehow they had been dealt with. There were enough piles of dust to   
indicate a huge fight and there was the headless corpse of a… Demon Lord! Somehow   
they had defeated a Krieger Demon Lord. This had been major, yet there was no Slayer   
present. Not even Angel and Willow working together was a match for that thing. Giles   
curiosity was piqued. Out of the corner of this eye he noticed Joyce bending over the   
blond girl with a very puzzled look in her eyes. Suddenly he heard her gasp and sit   
down in shock. Willow ran over and held Joyce, who was looking at the girl in shock. He   
walked over to look at the girl as well. He was aware of the entire gang coming closer.   
He heard Xander whispered to someone: "I think that healing us all was too much for   
her". "Off course, it was. Doofus", a voice that could only be Cordelia answered. Giles   
bent down to turn the girl over, when Angel's icecold hand grabbed his and the vampire   
warned: "Be prepared". Giles turned the girl over and three voices gasped in surprise.   
He wasn't aware of his own gasp or that he had started crying or that he kept asking:   
"How?". He felt his spirits soar to previously unknown heights, yet he felt a deep pity for   
a girl, who seemed never to be able to know true peace.  
  
Buffy opened her eyes. She was not in the warehouse anymore. Confused, she called   
upon her inner strength like a warrior assessing her arsenal before going into combat.   
She looked around. She was in some kind of library the room was round two stories   
high and lined on all sides with books and scrolls. Her senses told her that she had to   
be on the second floor of some building. A winding staircase lead to some kind of living   
area downstairs. Buffy noted the layout of the room. She had to be in Giles' house.   
Smiling calmly she walked down the stairs. The rest of the house was bedroom,   
bathroom, kitchen and computer room to the east and living room to the west. She   
could easily pick out the voices of people talking in the living room. She could hear cups   
and glasses being lifted and put down. Everybody was there and enjoying the downtime   
after a battle. They were also discussing. Her. Buffy nodded. The strangeness of her   
first and this second resurrection would be sure to create some confusion in the people   
she loved. She called upon the ether for strength and comfort. For a brief moment she   
was at peace, calming her, bringing her joy. Buffy walked into the living room to meet   
with her family. For now the Angel was at rest in peace and joy.  
  
THE END  
-- planned continuation under development. No ETA yet-- 


End file.
